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Author: Zoe Towlson

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.

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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

  • Where the Work Is: Data Centre Engineer Jobs

    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 people to work in data centre engineer jobs to keep operations running smoothly.

    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

  • Texas Data Center Market Report

    Download the Texas data center market report for more information on power availability, market value and emerging trends in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston.

    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

GET IN TOUCH

Browse jobs

Contact us
Connect with us

Weekly Data Centre Digest – 9th May 2025

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

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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.

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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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

  • Where the Work Is: Data Centre Engineer Jobs

    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 people to work in data centre engineer jobs to keep operations running smoothly.

    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

  • Texas Data Center Market Report

    Download the Texas data center market report for more information on power availability, market value and emerging trends in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston.

    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

GET IN TOUCH

Browse jobs

Contact us
Connect with us

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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View other region reports

Weekly Data Centre Digest – 2nd 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

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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What is a data centre?

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

Imagine a giant warehouse, but instead of physical products, it stores everything digital: your photos, videos, games, music, and files.   

This warehouse is called a data centre. In this article, we’ll answer the big question, “What is a data centre?”. We’ll find out what data centres look like inside, and why they’re so important in our everyday lives. 

Contents

What is a data centre?

A data centre is a large building that holds thousands of servers storing ‘the internet’. Servers are essentially powerful computers that store, manage, and deliver data to other computers. 

In a data centre, servers get stacked on top of each other in big cupboards called racks. Every data centre has thousands of these racks, all lined up in rows. Servers in racks get very hot and need to be cooled down, so data centres always have complex cooling systems to make sure that nothing over heats. 

Read more: What is a server?

what is a data centre

What do data centres do?

Without data centres, you wouldn’t be able to video call, play online games, send emails, or search on Google. Everything from watching the weather forecast to buying a gift online involves data centres in one way or another.  

Read more: Why Do We Need Data Centres?

what is a data centre

Servers in a rack

Data centre jobs

There are many different jobs involved in building and running a data centre, spanning every stage of its lifecycle.

In the early phases, construction professionals including quantity surveyors, construction managers, planners, architects, and project managers design and build the facility.

Once it’s up and running, operations teams -including data centre engineers, technicians, supervisors, and security staff – keep everything working safely and efficiently.

There are also IT specialists who manage the servers and systems, as well as sustainability and HSE experts who help reduce environmental impact and keep everyone safe on site.

From start to finish, data centres rely on a wide range of skilled people to keep the digital world connected.

If you’re looking for a new opportunity in data centres, whether in construction or operations, drop us an email ([email protected]) or submit your CV and we’ll get in touch.

Looking for other roles in critical infrastructure? Visit our sister site, Highfield Professional Solutions.

Data centres are the essential infrastructure powering our digital world, operating behind the scenes to support everything from online communication and entertainment to education and healthcare.

They store, manage, and protect the vast amounts of information we depend on daily. Whether it’s sending a message, purchasing an item online, or supporting emergency services, data centres play a vital role in making it all possible. With their advanced technology and powerful servers, they ensure our digital systems continue to run efficiently and reliably.

Other insights

  • Where the Work Is: Data Centre Engineer Jobs

    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 people to work in data centre engineer jobs to keep operations running smoothly.

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  • 2025 Global Data Center Market Comparison – Key Takeaways

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Dublin Data Centre Market Report

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

Download the Dublin data centre market report for information on:

– Current market size and value

– Emerging opportunities

– Challenges in the Dublin data centre market including power availabiity

Dublin Region Report Download

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Weekly Data Centre Digest – 25th April 2025

Posted on by Zoe Towlson

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Europe

A second significant data centre is on the cards for North Lincolnshire. Read here.

Plans to build another new data centre have been put forward on the edge of Bucks near the M25 and Slough. Read here.

Frontier and Ethos Partner on 5GW UK Data Centre Plan. Read here.

Data centres: Scotland is poised to slash the environmental cost of the AI boom. Read here.

Operator Of Planned Ennis Data Centre (Ireland) Claims Project At Risk Due To “Bureaucratic Intertia”. Read here.

Digital boom makes Marseille a global data hub – but at what cost? Read here.

German investment bank Hauck Aufhäuser Lampe Privatbank has launched a new data center firm. Read here.

Middle East & Africa

Khazna Breaks Ground on Two New AI-Ready Data Centers in Abu Dhabi. Read here.

Dubai’s du signs $544.5mln hyperscale data center deal with Microsoft. Read here.

Saudi Arabia offers data sovereignty to foreign countries with ‘AI hub’ law. Read here.

Israel’s NED DC breaks ground on data center in Tel Aviv. Read here.

Firms submit Jeddah 15MW data centre bids. Read here.

APAC

Keppel Data Center Fund (III) achieves first closing at US$580 million. Read here.

Adani’s $10B AI Power Play: India’s Data Center Race Leaves the West Behind. Read here.

PLDT opens first hyperscale data centre, second one in the works. Read here.

PDG launches billion-dollar AI-ready data center in Japan. Read here.

Viettel breaks ground on Vietnam’s first hyperscale data centre in Ho Chi Minh City. Read here.

SoftBank breaks ground on data center campus in Hokkaido, Japan. Read here.

NEXTDC to start developing SC2 at Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast. Read here.

NTT Data to invest ₹10,500 crore for AI data centre cluster in Hyderabad. Read here.

Data Center Operator Princeton Seeks $400 Million Private Loan. Read here.

Oracle in talks to establish Batam cloud region: Reports. Read here.

North America

Amazon and Nvidia say AI data center demand is not slowing down. Read here.

Amazon joins Microsoft in pausing global data centre projects. Read here.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is expanding its data center footprint into Maryland, and is set to take space in TPG’s Quantum Frederick park. Read here.

Digital Realty Rises With Increased Demand For Data Centers. Read here.

Stonepeak announced the launch of Montera Infrastructure, a new, North American hyperscale-focused data center company, with a $1.5 billion equity commitment. Read here.

Sabey Data Centers Announces 30-Megawatt Capacity Expansion in the Pacific Northwest. Read here.

Designs come in for data centre project in Nanaimo. Read here.

80,000-acre data center campus proposed in West Texas. Read here.

Soluna plans 145MW wind-powered data center campus in Texas. Read here.

Bit Digital’s Enovum buys textile manufacturing site for data center in North Carolina. Read here.

Minnesota firm expands data center footprint with new Albuquerque project. Read here.

775-acre data center campus proposed outside Indianapolis, Indiana. Read here.

CoreWeave leases another 260MW capacity from Galaxy in Texas. Read here.

QTS files to expand upcoming data center campus in Dallas, Texas. Read here.

Other interesting articles

How AI data centers can support grid reliability in Texas and across the US. Read here.

Within six years, building the leading AI data center may cost $200B. Read here.

US tariffs: Impact on data centre construction. Read here.

This is the state of play in the global data centre gold rush. Read here.

Deep Data Center: Neoclouds as the ‘Picks and Shovels’ of the AI Gold Rush. Read here.

Five datacenter concepts to know for Malaysia’s cloud-first transformation. Read here.

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