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Author: Zoe Towlson

Weekly Data Centre Digest – 23rd May 2025

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

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Europe

Bain Capital unveiled hscale and charts a course for rapid expansion of hyperscale data centres across EMEA. Read here.

MGX, Bpifrance, Mistral AI, NVIDIA launch joint venture to build Europe’s largest AI campus in France. Read here.

France attracts 4 GW of new data centre demand. Read here.

Prologis, U.S. Logistics Titan, Plans a Staggering €6.4 Billion Investment in France. Read here.

500MW data center proposed in Lapland, Finland. Read here.

New plans outline timescale for delivery of data centre at Cambois in Northumberland. Read here.

Data centre decision ominous for green belt near M25. Read here.

Solaria secures an additional 250 MW to power data centers in central Spain. Read here.

OVH launches first Italian data center in Milan. Read here.

Middle East & Africa

OpenAI to join US-UAE plan to build vast data centre in Abu Dhabi. Read here.

OpenAI Says It Will Build Massive Data Centers in the U.A.E. Read here.

AWS and HUMAIN to invest US$ 5 billion in AI Zone in Saudi Arabia. Read here.

APAC

Turkey’s Turkcell secures €100m for data center expansion. Read here.

Foxconn to Build 100 MW AI Data Center With Nvidia. Read here.

OpenAI seeks Asia Pacific deals for Stargate data centers. Read here.

AWS Taiwan data center is still in play, but the launch date is unclear. Read here.

Thailand’s First AI Hyperscale Data Center Debuts. Read here.

Princeton Digital Group has secured more than $1 billion in financing to fuel its roll-out. Read here.

North America

BlackChamber Group has raised $2.1 billion for the development of hyperscale data centers in the US. Read here.

REPORT: 26North Nearing Acquisition Of Data Center Investor DigitalBridge. Read here.

JPMorgan to Lend More Than $7 Billion For OpenAI Data Center. Read here.

Texas data centre being built for OpenAI by startup Crusoe has secured $11.6 billion in funding. Read here.

EdgeCore expands its Metro Phoenix data center market to over 450 MW. Read here.

Iron Mountain has begun construction on a 200MW data center campus near Richmond, Virginia. Read here.

Sangha starts construction on 19.9MW Bitcoin site in Texas. Read here.

Prologis set to buy Project Sail data center site outside Atlanta, Georgia. Read here.

‘Hyperscale’ data center project drawing resistance in rural Oldham County. Read here.

Large data center campus is being proposed in West Memphis, Arkansas. Local press suggests Google could be behind the project. Read here.

500-acre data center campus planned in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Read here.

T5 files to develop data center campus outside Atlanta, Georgia. Read here.

Soluna unveils 75 MW solar-powered data centre in northeast Texas. Read here.

Meta Buys 650 MW of Renewable Energy to Power U.S. Data Centers. Read here.

CyrusOne tops out 18MW Illinois data center. Read here.

Fire Breaks Out at a Data Center Leased by Elon Musk’s X. Read here.

South America

Elea confirmed as company behind Rio’s 1.8GW AI City project. Read here.

Other interesting articles

Data Centre Marketing Club to Confront Industry Challenges. Read here.

Navigating regulatory challenges in data centres. Read here.

Booming industry: analysing UK data centre growth. Read here.

Bloomberg Technology: OpenAI Plans Data Center. Listen here.

How AI Will Continue to Impact the Data Centre Industry. Read here.

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The 5 Data Centre Commissioning Levels

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

As data centres grow in complexity and criticality, so too does the process of ensuring their systems function as intended before going live. This is where data centre commissioning play a vital role.

In this article, we’ll explore the five levels of data centre commissioning and what this means for those working in testing and commissioning roles within the sector.

Contents

What is data centre commissioning?

Data centre commissioning is a structured, multi-phase process that tests and validates all systems in a data centre—mechanical, electrical, IT, and security—prior to handover. 

While commissioning is relevant to many types of buildings, the process is especially rigorous in mission-critical environments like data centres, where uptime and reliability are paramount. From design verification to integrated systems testing, the commissioning process ensures that the facility performs as designed—and continues to do so after launch. 

Browse commissioning jobs

5 data centre commissioning levels

The data centre commissioning process is often broken down into five key levels, each representing a stage in the system validation lifecycle. These levels provide a framework for tracking progress and ensuring that all components—individually and collectively—meet performance and operational standards. 

Level One: Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) – Red Tag

Before equipment even reaches the construction site, it’s tested by the manufacturer to confirm that it meets the specified requirements. This includes equipment like generators, UPS systems, and chillers. Level 1 ensures that components function correctly before delivery. 

Level 2: Site Acceptance and Installation Verification – Yellow Tag

Once the equipment arrives onsite, Level 2 focuses on installation checks. Are the units installed correctly? Are they in line with design drawings and safety codes? This level includes physical inspections and pre-functional checks, ensuring everything is ready for startup.

Level 3: Start-up and Pre-Functional Testing – Green Tag

At this stage, systems are powered up and tested individually to verify that they function in isolation. For example, an HVAC unit might be started up to confirm proper operation, without yet being integrated into the full control system.

Level 4: Functional Performance Testing – Blue Tag

Level 4 is more comprehensive. Here, systems are tested in sequence and under normal and failure conditions to ensure they function as intended. This level is critical in identifying how systems respond during simulated failures, such as loss of utility power.

Level 5: Integrated Systems Testing (IST) – White Tag

The final and most rigorous stage involves testing the entire infrastructure under full operational load. This simulates real-world scenarios and emergency events to ensure the whole system functions together. It’s the last step before handover to the operations team. 

data centre commissioning

Data centre commissioning jobs

With data centre investment booming globally, testing and commissioning professionals are in high demand. These roles are critical in ensuring new facilities come online without costly delays or system failures. We recruit for both permanent and contract commissioning engineer roles across Europe and the USA.

Commissioning engineer salary

According to our 2024 Data Centre Salary Survey, Commissioning Engineers in permanent positions earn an average of £88,684 per year in the UK and Europe. In the United States, they earn an average of £111k.

Commissioning engineer day rate

Data from our survey suggested that the average day rate of a Commissioning Engineer in a contract role was £579. Commissioning Managers earn slightly more, at £693 per day.

This demand reflects the complexity of testing and commissioning in construction, especially in hyperscale environments where any downtime could result in millions lost in service disruptions.

The five levels of data centre commissioning provide a critical roadmap for delivering reliable, high-performance facilities. From factory testing to full system integration, each level ensures that the infrastructure can meet the demanding requirements of today’s digital economy.

Whether you’re a facilities manager, project stakeholder, or engineer exploring commissioning in construction, understanding these levels is key to delivering projects that are not only complete—but proven to perform.

If you’re a commissioning professional looking for new career opportunities in this field, get in touch with our specialist recruitment team.

Browse commissioning jobs

Other insights

  • Data Centre Marketing Club to Host Masterclass Event

    Co-founded by Senior Education, Influencer, Marketing and PR leaders, the new Data Centre Marketing Club hosts its first Masterclass at Norton Rose Fullbright on the 22nd May 2025.

    Read more

  • 2025 Global Data Center Market Comparison – Key Takeaways

    Cushman & Wakefield’s latest Global Data Center Market Comparison report paints a clear picture of a fast-moving, high-demand landscape. With the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning accelerating infrastructure requirements, the global data centre industry is undergoing one of its most intense growth periods yet.

    Read more

  • Amsterdam Data Centre Market Report

    Download the Amsterdam data centre market report for more information on power availability, market value and emerging trends in The Netherlands.

    Read more

  • What is a data centre?

    Imagine a giant warehouse, but instead of products, it stores everything digital: your photos, videos, games, music, and files. In this article we answer the important question: what is a data centre?

    Read more

  • Dublin Data Centre Market Report

    Download the Dublin data centre market report for more information on power availability, market value and emerging trends in the Republic of Ireland.

    Read more

  • 7 Types of Data Centre

    Not all data centres are created equal. They come in different shapes and sizes, each designed for specific needs. Read on to find out about seven types of data centre.

    Read more

GET IN TOUCH

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Data Centre Marketing Club to Host Masterclass Event

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

Data Centre Marketing Club Formed to Champion Best Practice, Collaboration and Storytelling in the Digital Infrastructure Community

  • Co-founded by Senior Education, Influencer, Marketing and PR leaders, the new Data Centre Marketing Club hosts its first Masterclass at Norton Rose Fullbright on the 22nd May 2025.
  • The event aims to explore the key marketing challenges and opportunities facing the data centre sector and provide attendees with a platform to share marketing best practices.
  • Features speakers from organisations including AVK, AtlasEdge, CFH, DataX Connect, Digital Realty, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, Kao Data, PWC, Spa Communications, The Inside Data Centre Podcast and WeDoCo.

London, United Kingdom, May 19th 2025 – Senior leaders from the digital infrastructure sector have formed a first of its kind Data Centre Marketing Club – enabling PR, Marketing and Social Media professionals to collaborate, share knowledge, and champion branding, marketing and storytelling best practices across the data centre community.

Co-founded by Giuseppe Caltabiano, Senior Marketing Director, AVK; Andy Davis, Director, DataX Connect and host of the Inside Data Centre Podcast; Nicola Hayes, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Platform Markets Group; Adam Nethersole, Vice President (VP) Marketing, Kao Data; and Rory Flashman-Wells, Managing Director, Spa Communications Ltd, the open community aims to address the negative perception of data centres by improving marketing and communications about the industry’s role in technological innovation and sustainability, and its position as a global platform for economic growth.

Further, by encouraging cross-industry learning and providing members with both the foundational tools and a forum to enhance their skillsets, the community plans to help marketers can better understand their strategic value to digital infrastructure organisations, and develop the confidence to create campaigns that deliver demonstrable outcomes for leadership teams.

data centre marketing club

On the 22nd May 2025, the Data Centre Marketing Club hosts its first, free-to-attend Masterclass event, ‘Cutting Through the Noise’, at legal firm Norton Rose Fullbright – exploring the critical role of brand in business growth, and how marketers can accelerate impact by delivering a joined-up approach to sales, marketing and communications strategies.

Open to marketing, PR and social media professionals across the industry, key sessions will include ‘The ROI of Brand Building in B2B’, led by Prof. Charles Graham of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute; ‘Building a standout brand in the data centre sector’ featuring James Dunn, Co-Founder and Creative Director WeDoCo, and Giuseppe Caltabiano, Senior Marketing Director, AVK; and ‘The ROI of Storytelling’ by Tim Love, Founder, CFH London.

Additionally, Andy Davis, Director, DataX Connect and host of the Inside Data Centre Podcast, and Josie Hughes, Director of Marketing, Strategy and Culture, DataX Connect will discuss ‘The role of marketing in attracting talent’, while Adam Nethersole, VP Marketing, Kao Data and Rory Flashman-Wells, MD, Spa Communications Ltd will present on ‘Making Markets’, exploring the role of PR in propelling business growth.

The day ends with ‘The Storytelling Panel’, featuring Georgia Lewis Anderson, Co-Founder, Lantyn and previously Generative AI Content Strategist, Meta, Katryna Turner, Global Brand Strategist, PwC, and Duncan White, Senior Director of Communications & Marketing at AtlasEdge. This is followed by an ‘Ask the Experts’ session moderated by Kristy Harrower, Partner at Norton Rose Fullbright, featuring key insights from Sue Jones, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, Digital Realty, Katryna Turner.

“Feedback from the initial discussions at Data Centre Marketing Club found that brand and content strategies are often overlooked when it comes to digital infrastructure marketing,” said Nicola Hayes, CMO, Platform Markets Group. “As such, we developed the key themes for our first masterclass to meet these challenges head on – explaining the strategic role of brand, PR and storytelling in business growth and enabling marketers to justify budget allocation directly to these areas.”

“Today there’s this misconception that marketing in the digital infrastructure sector must be overly technical and driven by activation, but that’s absolutely not true. The foundations of marketing – brand building, positioning, and storytelling – don’t change just because your product is more complex,” said Giuseppe Caltabiano, Senior Marketing Director, AVK. “Our first event brings together a host of speakers to encourage cross-industry learning, and I’d like to extend our collective thanks to Norton Rose Fullbright for hosting us.”

“When I first started the Inside Data Centre Podcast I don’t think I realised the potential that building a personal brand would have on our business, or how quickly it would transform our growth trajectory,” said Andy Davis, Director, DataX Connect. “This event will enable attendees to understand what it takes to cut through the noise and learn how different organisations approach PR, marketing and brand – the only question now is, are you in?”

To Register for the last few tickets for the Masterclass at Norton Rose Fullbright, click here.

For more information about Data Centre Marketing Club, visit the website or join the community on LinkedIn here.

Other insights

  • Data Centre Marketing Club to Host Masterclass Event

    Co-founded by Senior Education, Influencer, Marketing and PR leaders, the new Data Centre Marketing Club hosts its first Masterclass at Norton Rose Fullbright on the 22nd May 2025.

    Read more

  • 2025 Global Data Center Market Comparison – Key Takeaways

    Cushman & Wakefield’s latest Global Data Center Market Comparison report paints a clear picture of a fast-moving, high-demand landscape. With the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning accelerating infrastructure requirements, the global data centre industry is undergoing one of its most intense growth periods yet.

    Read more

  • Amsterdam Data Centre Market Report

    Download the Amsterdam data centre market report for more information on power availability, market value and emerging trends in The Netherlands.

    Read more

  • What is a data centre?

    Imagine a giant warehouse, but instead of products, it stores everything digital: your photos, videos, games, music, and files. In this article we answer the important question: what is a data centre?

    Read more

  • Dublin Data Centre Market Report

    Download the Dublin data centre market report for more information on power availability, market value and emerging trends in the Republic of Ireland.

    Read more

  • 7 Types of Data Centre

    Not all data centres are created equal. They come in different shapes and sizes, each designed for specific needs. Read on to find out about seven types of data centre.

    Read more

GET IN TOUCH

Browse jobs

Contact us
Connect with us

Weekly Data Centre Digest – 16th May 2025

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

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Reports

BNP Paribas: US AI data center power demand: A multibillion-watt challenge. Read here.

Europe

Apto announces plans for Italy’s largest data centre campus. Read here.

Colt Data Centre Services has unveiled its second facility in France, known as Colt Paris 2. Read here.

Finnish property developer FCDC plans to build a data centre facility in Rovaniemi, northern Finland, with potential power use of up to 500 MW. Read here.

Swedish infrastructure startup Scandinavian Data Centers has secured an investment from real estate group Fastighets AB Balder to fund the construction of its first data centre, ‘ScandiDC I’, in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Read here.

UK needs more nuclear to power AI, says Amazon boss. Read here.

The UK government has overturned a decision by a Hertfordshire local council which blocked the development of a huge data centre adjacent to the M25. Read here.

Abbots Langley data centre construction to cost £800m. Read here.

Plans for huge data centre in Wycombe progress as Bucks Council enters new lease. Read here.

Pension Giant USS Backs Blackstone’s Data Centre Megaproject in Blyth, UK. Read here.

London-based startup Zendo Energy raises €2 million to help data centres decarbonise and adapt to AI boom. Read here.

Echelon launches €3.5bn data centre projects in Wicklow. Read here.

Swedish data center firm Bahnhof is developing an underground data center in Gothenburg. Read here.

Merlin Edged launches Barcelona data center, CoreWeave to take 15MW. Read here.

Power connection requests for Italy data centres rise to 42 GW at end-March. Read here.

Samsung bets on data center HVAC with $1.7 bn FläktGroup acquisition. Read here.

Vertiv has been picked by Nordic data centre firm Polar as the primary supplier for its first modular AI-ready data centre in Norway. Read here.

Middle East & Africa

Trump and Abu Dhabi ink partnership to build massive AI data center complex in UAE. Read here.

DataVolt Partners with Supermicro for AI Data Center Expansion Backed by $20B Deal. Read here.

OpenAI considers data center in United Arab Emirates – report. Read here.

Saudi Arabian AI venture Humain plans to deploy 500MW of data center compute over the next five years featuring AMD hardware. Read here.

Oracle commits to invest $14bn in Saudi Arabia over next 10 years. Read here.

Moro Hub and DIFC forge strategic partnership to accelerate digital transformation. Read here.

Nebius to build and operate $140m Israeli national supercomputer. Read here.

APAC

NTT DATA announced the accelerated expansion of its Global Data Centers division, securing land across North America, Europe, and Asia. Read here.

NTT to launch Singapore data centre REIT in US$1.57 billion asset transfer. Read here.

Stack Infrastructure seeks AU$1.3bn for Australia data center buildout. Read here.

Partners Group to buy data centre platform Digital Halo. Read here.

Kakao announces plans for second data center in Gyeonggi, South Korea. Read here.

Equinix opens first Jakarta data centre. Read here.

GIP–BlackRock, local partners plan to invest US$ 3–5 billion in Thailand; focus on Giga Data Centers. Read here.

BDx raises funds for Hong Kong DC. Read here.

North America

Five Point Infrastructure has committed as much as $1 billion to PowerBridge, a recently formed developer of data-center locations in the Permian Basin. Read here.

King Street-Backed Colovore Closes $925 Million Facility with Blackstone for AI Data Center Platform. Read here.

Blue Owl Capital Announces $7 Billion Final Close for Digital Infrastructure Fund. Read here.

Coreweave signs new $4 bln deal with OpenAI. Read here.

Beacon AI Centers Appoints Josh Schertzer as CEO, Commits to an Initial 4.5 GW Data Center Development in Alberta, Canada. Read here.

Tensorium Announces Launch of Its Largest AI-Optimized Data Center in Montreal, Canada. Read here.

Applied Digital proposes “multi-billion-dollar” data center in South Dakota. Read here.

Potential data center to be built northeast of New Carlisle, Indiana. Read here.

A Shelbyville developer has withdrawn a proposal to rezone 700 acres of Hancock County farmland for an industrial planned unit development that was likely to house a data center. Read here.

Cryptominer Cipher signs 300MW energy deal with Engie in Texas. Read here.

Wyoming intends to approve Microsoft data centers’ emissions permit for 128 backup diesel generators. Read here.

Flexential acquires two leased data centers in Atlanta, Georgia. Read here.

Switch fails in bid to dismiss Tract lawsuit over Nevada data center site. Read here.

South America

Brazil’s Patria launches data center platform with initial investment of $1 billion. Read here.

Scala Data Centers has announced authorization from Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy for a 5 GW ramp-up connection of Scala AI City to the National Interconnected System. Read here.

Other interesting articles

Proactive measures for data centres ahead of the new NESO application window. Read here.

Power-Hungry Data Centers Are Warming Homes in the Nordics. Read here.

Tariff Trouble: Impact of Tariffs on Data Centers. Read here.

A fraction of proposed data centers will get built. Utilities are wising up. Read here.

Join the Data Centre Club on LinkedIn.

You can now receive data centre news direct to your email. Subscribe via Substack.

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Where the Work Is: Data Centre Engineer Jobs

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

Data centre engineers are in high demand across Europe—and the market isn’t slowing down any time soon. As AI, cloud services, and digital infrastructure continue to accelerate, companies are investing in new facilities, expanding existing ones, and urgently seeking skilled professionals to keep operations running smoothly. 

For experienced engineers, this presents a real opportunity—not just for job security, but for long-term career growth, salary progression, and exciting work across Europe. 

The key? Knowing where the work is and what employers are really looking for. 

Browse Data Centre Engineer Jobs

Contents

  1. Top 5 established hotspots in Europe
  2. Top 5 up-and-coming hotspots in Europe
  3. Data centre engineer salary
  4. Data centre engineer career progression
  5. How to take advantage of the opportunity

Top 5 established hotspots in Europe

These locations have been leading the charge in data centre construction and continue to offer stable, high-volume opportunities. This ranking, established by Cushman & Wakefield, takes into account factors such as power availability, renewable energy usage, and capacity under construction, amongst many other factors.

1. London

As the UK’s largest data centre hub, London (including Slough) has a high density of colocation sites and strong investment. 

2. Frankfurt

As the UK’s largest data centre hub, London (including Slough) has a high density of colocation sites and strong investment. 

3. Amsterdam

With growth returning after the data centre moratorium, demand is picking back up in the Netherlands. 

4. Paris

Paris is experiencing consistent growth driven by cloud computing and, of course, artificial intelligence. 

5. Madrid

Spain’s capital is fast becoming a southern European hotspot with hyperscale developments and increased co-location demand.

Top 5 up-and-coming hotspots in Europe

These cities are gaining momentum as data centre operators look for locations with easier access to power and water. Those looking for data centre engineer jobs could consider emerging markets like these.

1. Berlin

Berlin ranks in the top ten regions globally when it comes to under construction pre-leased rate, and environmental risk. This means that a high proportion of data centre developments are already pre-leased before completion, signalling strong demand and investor confidence. Berlin also benefits from its proximity to Frankfurt while offering comparatively lower land and energy costs, making it a rising star in the German data centre market.

2. Helsinki

Helsinki’s cold climate significantly reduces the need for artificial cooling, cutting operational costs and emissions. With access to abundant renewable energy sources like hydro and wind power, Helsinki is quickly becoming a model location for green data centre growth in the Nordics.

3. Zurich

Zurich ranks in the top ten regions globally for political stability and fibre connectivity. Switzerland’s neutrality, robust legal system, and secure economic environment make Zurich a trusted location for data centre investments. In addition, its strong fibre network ensures low-latency connections across Europe.

4. Munich

Munich ranks in the top ten regions globally for vacancy percentage – a sign that there is available capacity for immediate deployment. This presents opportunities for companies needing rapid scalability without the long lead times associated with new builds.

5. Oslo

Oslo ranks in the top ten regions globally for environmental risk and renewable power generation. Norway’s vast hydroelectric capacity allows data centres in Oslo to run on nearly 100% renewable energy, appealing to operators with ambitious ESG targets. 

Browse Data Centre Engineer Jobs

Data centre engineer salary

Here’s what you can expect in terms of salary and progression as a data centre engineer:  

  • Shift engineer £54,643 
  • Day engineer £60,417 
  • Shift lead £61,333 
  • Technical manager £76,538 
  • Data centre manager £86,625 

Salaries in the data centre space continue to grow. Between July 2023 and July 2024:  

  • 36% of everyone in data centres received a pay rise of 5% or more. 
  • 14% had an increase of 10% or more. 

Want to see more data like this? Download our 2024 Data Centre Salary Survey

Data centre engineer career progression

Example career pathways for data centre engineers: 

  • DC/Electrical Engineer -> Shift Lead -> Critical Facilities Engineer/Supervisor -> Critical Facilities Manager -> Data Centre Manager  
  • Operations Technician/Engineer -> Technical Supervisor/Engineer -> Technical Manager/Operations Manager 
  • Contract Manager > Account Manager > Area Manager 

There’s no single route—your next step depends on your goals, whether that’s technical specialisation or team leadership. 

Take advantage of the opportunity

Whether you’re actively job hunting or simply curious about what’s next, now’s the time to put yourself in the frame for the best roles: 

  • Update your CV with relevant certifications and responsibilities. 
  • Be open to relocation or short-term contract work in key hotspots. 
  • Build relationships with recruiters who specialise in data centre placements. 
  • Explore roles that match your experience—and challenge you to grow. 
Browse data centre engineer jobs

Other insights

  • Data Centre Marketing Club to Host Masterclass Event

    Co-founded by Senior Education, Influencer, Marketing and PR leaders, the new Data Centre Marketing Club hosts its first Masterclass at Norton Rose Fullbright on the 22nd May 2025.

    Read more

  • 2025 Global Data Center Market Comparison – Key Takeaways

    Cushman & Wakefield’s latest Global Data Center Market Comparison report paints a clear picture of a fast-moving, high-demand landscape. With the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning accelerating infrastructure requirements, the global data centre industry is undergoing one of its most intense growth periods yet.

    Read more

  • Amsterdam Data Centre Market Report

    Download the Amsterdam data centre market report for more information on power availability, market value and emerging trends in The Netherlands.

    Read more

  • What is a data centre?

    Imagine a giant warehouse, but instead of products, it stores everything digital: your photos, videos, games, music, and files. In this article we answer the important question: what is a data centre?

    Read more

  • Dublin Data Centre Market Report

    Download the Dublin data centre market report for more information on power availability, market value and emerging trends in the Republic of Ireland.

    Read more

  • 7 Types of Data Centre

    Not all data centres are created equal. They come in different shapes and sizes, each designed for specific needs. Read on to find out about seven types of data centre.

    Read more

GET IN TOUCH

Browse jobs

Contact us
Connect with us

Weekly Data Centre Digest – 9th May 2025

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

Sign up to receive data centre news, articles, reports, and more from DataX Connect.

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Reports

Cushman & Wakefield: Global Data Center Market Comparison. Read here.

Data Center Watch: $64 billion of US data center projects have been blocked or delayed amid local opposition. Read here.

Europe

Data centre the height of three double decker buses planned at Molins site advances. Read here.

Tritax Big Box REIT closes in on hyperscaler letting for data centre development (Heathrow, UK). Read here.

SIN01: Inside Portugal’s new Sustainable AI Data Centre. Read here.

Schneider Electric, Start Campus debut new AI-ready data centre at Sines, Portugal. Read here.

$3 billion data centre investment destined for Spain’s Aragon region. Read here.

Project Clover: €1 Billion Investment in Finland for New Data Center. Read here.

Bulk Infrastructure has added three data halls to its Oslo Internet Exchange (OS-IX) facility in Norway. Read here.

Colocation firm Telehouse has completed a new data center at its campus in Paris, France. Read here.

Beyond.pl, Pure Storage to offer Nvidia Blackwell-powered AI factory platform. Read here.

Pre-planning application submitted for 12MW data centre (Wales). Read here.

Data centre plan strengthens Malaga’s technology position with 279-million-euro investment. Read here.

Slovenia starts construction of 150 mln euro AI data centre. Read here.

Portus expands Munich data centre campus with AI-ready, 5.5MW facility. Read here.

Middle East & Africa

Nigeria is gearing up for a $1.6bn data centre surge, with capacity set to nearly quadruple in five year. Read here.

APAC

Bain Capital to sell China data centre business likely valued at over $4 billion, sources say. Read here.

NTT to take NTT Data private in $16.4bn deal. Read here.

STACK Infrastructure looking at $800 million loan for to invest into its Australian data centre presence. Read here.

India may need additional 50 mn sqft real estate for data centres by 2030. Read here.

Microsoft to Launch Data Centers in Malaysia in Q2 2025. Read here.

Google makes another major data centre investment in Malaysia. Read here.

Gamuda sells land for RM455m to Google affiliate, lands RM1b data centre project. Read here.

LG Uplus to invest $441.7m in Paju data center in South Korea. Read here.

South Korea’s own lofty AI data centre plan. Read here.

Equinix completes Phase 2 of KL1 IBX data center. Read here.

PDG switches on $1-B AI-ready data centre in Greater Tokyo. Read here.

RackBank launches AI Data Center Park in Chhattisgarh. Read here.

North America

OpenAI pitches Stargate beyond US, says it could work with 10 countries. Read here.

Black Chamber Partners raises $2bn for US data centre strategy. Read here.

Prince George’s County backs FifteenFortySeven’s data centre fund. Read here.

Prometheus Hyperscale to power Wyoming data center with natural gas, will offset through carbon capture. Read here.

Constellation Energy wipes out big losses to surge on AI data center deal hopes. Read here.

Google has signed a strategic agreement with advanced nuclear power developer, Elementl Power, to develop three nuclear energy projects in the US. Read here.

Aligned and Lambda Partner to Power Next-Generation AI Infrastructure. Read here.

Mystery developer plans $1bn data center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Read here.

Amazon acquires 100 acres in Leesburg, Virginia, for potential data center development. Read here.

Tract acquires 1,515 acres outside Austin, Texas, for 2GW data center park. Read here.

Planned Georgia Data Center Would Be Worth At Least $16B. Read here.

Atlas Development plans 2.4 million sq ft data center campus outside Rome, Georgia. Read here.

Edged breaks ground on 13MW data center in Des Moines, Iowa. Read here.

ValorC3 announces new 10MW AI-ready data centre in Boise. Read here.

Massive data center proposed along Route 1 in South Brunswick nearing fruition. Read here.

TC Energy approves $900m pipeline expansion in US Midwest to serve data center market. Read here.

Dominion sees no slow down in Northern Virginia data center demand. Read here.

Core Scientific has seen a drop in cryptomining revenue as it pivots to focus on AI colocation. Read here.

Power utility TransAlta expects Alberta data centre deal this year. Read here.

South America

Amazon to invest $4bn in Chile data center region. Read here.

Argentina hopes to attract Big Tech with nuclear-powered AI data centers. Read here.

Roblox breaks ground on data center in Brazil for early 2026. Read here.

Elea Announces Rio AI City: A Landmark Brazilian Data Center Project With Capacity Up to 3.2 GW of Renewable Energy Supporting AI Growth. Read here.

Other interesting articles

AI is draining water from areas that need it most. Read here.

Data Centre Developers Waiting For Next Generation Of Buyers To Emerge. Read here.

AI Expansion Sparks Data Centre Overbuild Fears. Read here.

AI boom, GPU shortage: the complex equation of data centres. Read here.

Blackstone president sees ‘a ton’ of AI data center demand. Read here.

The World’s Largest Data Center Rises in Texas. Watch here.

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2025 Global Data Center Market Comparison – Key Takeaways

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

Cushman & Wakefield’s latest Global Data Center Market Comparison report paints a clear picture of a fast-moving, high-demand landscape. With the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning accelerating infrastructure requirements, the global data centre industry is undergoing one of its most intense growth periods yet.

This article explores the report’s key takeaways—from the rise of emerging markets to the challenges of power availability and committed capacity—offering a snapshot of where the market stands today and where it’s heading next.

“If the global data center industry in 2024 could be summed up in two words, they would be “accelerated growth.” The industry experienced rapid expansion throughout the year, a trend expected to continue into 2025 and 2026. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), which gained prominence in 2022, are key drivers of this demand now and into the future.”

Download the report

Contents

  1. Emerging markets gain steam
  2. Established markets march on
  3. The 1GW+ club
  4. 100% capacity claimed
  5. Low vacancy across the board

1. ‘Emerging markets gain steam’

The first key takeaway from this report is that interest is growing in emerging markets as power becomes the number one priority: “The best place to build a data center is wherever the required power can be secured.” 

Hyperscalers are setting the pace by being the first to act in emerging markets like Austin/San Antonio, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Abu Dhabi.   

“A key industry trend is growing interest in emerging markets, as power delivery timelines in established markets lengthen, redirecting some traffic toward areas where power is more plentiful, land availability is a lesser concern, and economics are more favorable.” 

2. ‘Established markets march on’

Even though there is growing interest in emerging markets, established markets are still experiencing high demand. Globally, the top six established markets are all in the USA; Virginia holds the top spot with Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta, Oregon, and Columbus following suit. In fact, the only two non-US markets in this list are Beijing and Shanghai, at number seven and ten respectively. 

“Despite the growing interest in emerging markets, established markets still capture the bulk of data center activity, often boasting significantly larger development pipelines.” 

3. The 1GW+ club

Globally, 13 markets boast operational capacities exceeding 1GW:

  • Virginia 
  • Beijing
  • Oregon 
  • Columbus 
  • Phoenix 
  • Dallas 
  • Shanghai
  • Chicago 
  • London 
  • Tokyo 
  • Dublin 
  • Iowa 
  • Singapore 

This ranking by operational capacity reflects past demand in these regions and gives us an idea of market maturity. These markets will typically have solid infrastructure and experienced construction and operations talent. 

For context, 1GW could power approximately 3.3 million HD movie streams at once – enough for every person in Iowa to watch Netflix simultaneously. 

“AI has essentially become a rock to the data center windshield—its initial impact is undeniable, with effects rippling across all facets of the industry”

4. 100% capacity claimed

There are nine markets where 100% of capacity currently under construction was already committed, including Berlin, Iowa, Milan, and Montreal, and two where planned markets showed the same, Dammam and Indianapolis. 

Virginia and Atlanta are the only markets in the world with more than 1GW currently under construction. 

“Across the Americas, the prelease rate for capacity under construction is 76% when excluding hyperscale self-builds and 83% when including them.” 

5. Low vacancy across the board

Currently, only eight individual data centers offer 20MW or more of available capacity in a single data center – these are in NY-NNJ, Poland, Johannesburg, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guanzhou.  

While vacancy rates don’t paint the full picture of a market’s performance, they do indicate a market with development potential. The report states that there are seven markets globally with extremely tight vacancy – below 1%, including Oregon, Frankfurt, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Abu Dhabi. 

The message from the Global Data Center Market Comparison is clear: whether it’s hyperscalers pushing into emerging territories or established markets racing to meet demand, the global data centre industry is operating at full tilt. Power, scale, and speed are defining success in 2024 and beyond. As the industry continues to evolve under the pressure of AI and digital transformation, those who can secure power and move fast will lead the charge.

Read more report summaries

Other insights

  • Data Centre Marketing Club to Host Masterclass Event

    Co-founded by Senior Education, Influencer, Marketing and PR leaders, the new Data Centre Marketing Club hosts its first Masterclass at Norton Rose Fullbright on the 22nd May 2025.

    Read more

  • 2025 Global Data Center Market Comparison – Key Takeaways

    Cushman & Wakefield’s latest Global Data Center Market Comparison report paints a clear picture of a fast-moving, high-demand landscape. With the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning accelerating infrastructure requirements, the global data centre industry is undergoing one of its most intense growth periods yet.

    Read more

  • Amsterdam Data Centre Market Report

    Download the Amsterdam data centre market report for more information on power availability, market value and emerging trends in The Netherlands.

    Read more

  • What is a data centre?

    Imagine a giant warehouse, but instead of products, it stores everything digital: your photos, videos, games, music, and files. In this article we answer the important question: what is a data centre?

    Read more

  • Dublin Data Centre Market Report

    Download the Dublin data centre market report for more information on power availability, market value and emerging trends in the Republic of Ireland.

    Read more

  • 7 Types of Data Centre

    Not all data centres are created equal. They come in different shapes and sizes, each designed for specific needs. Read on to find out about seven types of data centre.

    Read more

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Texas Data Center Market Report

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

Download the Texas data center market report for information on:

– Current market size of key Texas markets: Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston

– Emerging opportunities and challenges

Texas Region Report Download

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Amsterdam Data Centre Market Report

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

Download the Amsterdam data centre market report for information on:

– Current market size

– Emerging opportunities

– Challenges in the Amsterdam data centre market including power availabiity

Amsterdam Region Report Download

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Weekly Data Centre Digest – 2nd May 2025

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

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Reports

DC Byte: 2025 Global Data Center Index. Read here.

The 1st data center industry survey on the post-AI energy crunch is here. Read here.

KAO Data: The North West. The UK’s next AI Growth Zone. Read here.

iMasons State of the Digital Infrastructure Industry Report – 2025 Edition. Read here.

Europe

Microsoft announces new European digital commitments. Read here.

At its London Summit, AWS unveiled an ambitious plan to create 14,000 jobs annually and contribute $19 billion to the economy by 2028. Read here.

TikTok plans to build 1 bln euro data centre in Finland. Read here.

Nscale looks to raise $2.7bn for AI infrastructure – report. Read here.

EcoDataCenter strengthens focus on large-scale data center campuses through strategic sale to CapMan Infra. Read here.

Data storage centre of ‘regional importance’ to be built in south Wales. Read here.

Global Switch House data centre in Poplar set to expand. Read here.

Stack Infrastructure is selling its European colocation data centers to investment fund Apollo. Read here.

Three arrests in Microsoft data centre build bribery investigation. Read here.

UK data center firms could build gas power plants to expedite projects – report. Read here.

Middle East & Africa

Khazna targets 25% of Saudi data centre market in ambitious expansion: report. Read here.

Khazna eyes US expansion. Read here.

APAC

Khazna to build data center near Ankara, Turkey. Read here.

Spark seeking co-investors for its data centre portfolio. Read here.

GuocoLand mulling data centers in Malaysia. Read here.

Negeri Sembilan’s first two data centers (Malaysia) construction on track. Read here.

CtrlS Datacenters to invest Rs 500 crores into DC in central India. Read here.

ESR and STACK break ground on 72MW DC campus in Japan. Read here.

North America

Meta lifts CapEx to $72bn as AI ambitions fuel data centre push. Read here.

Microsoft rejects data centre pullback talk as AI demand outpaces supply. Read here.

Equinix raises annual revenue, FFO forecasts on robust demand. Read here.

Google is still undersupplied with capacity to meet cloud demand. Read here.

IBM to spend $30bn on quantum & mainframes, as part of $150bn US investment pledge. Read here.

Solaris Energy Infrastructure Q1 2025 slides: Fleet expansion targets data center growth. Read here.

Digital Realty files to develop 400MW data center campus in Charlotte, North Carolina. Read here.

Mystery developer plans $1bn data center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Read here.

Jet.AI has signed a Letter of Intent to form a joint venture with Consensus Core Technologies to pursue development of two hyperscale data-center campuses. Read here.

Dominion to build new high voltage lines to supply proposed 900MW data center in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Read here.

Decommissioned Kansas City, Kansas, power plant eyed for data center redevelopment. Read here.

Residents voice concerns over Amazon’s plan to fill wetlands for New Carlisle data center. Read here.

NOVA completes a majority investment in DartPoints. Read here.

South America

Hive Digital completes 100MW Bitcoin data center in Paraguay. Read here.

Brazil to offer tax breaks to lure data center investments, sources say. Read here.

Rio de Janeiro set to host Latin America’s largest data center campus. Read here.

ODATA launches Mexico’s largest data centre with $3bn investment in Querétaro. Read here.

Other interesting articles

Yondr and CBRE launch global data centre apprenticeship scheme. Read here.

AI data center boom isn’t going bust but the ‘pause’ is trending at big tech companies. Read here.

Bursting The AI Data Center Bubble Buildout. Watch here.

Tech firms to prioritise soft skills in 2025 hiring drive. Read here.

What businesses can learn from 15 years of data growth. Read here.

AI Factories, Hyperscalers, and the Path to $1 Trillion. Read here.

Global Data Centre Services Market Surges Amid AI and Cloud Boom. Read here.

Hyperscalers prepare for 1MW racks at OCP EMEA; Google announces new CDU. Read here.

Join the Data Centre Club on LinkedIn.

You can now receive data centre news direct to your email. Subscribe via Substack.

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