Due to power limitations, data center development is expanding beyond Europe’s well-known hubs, however, new markets must now tackle the task of transforming grand project declarations into functional establishments. The development of grid connections, construction capacity, and community support will decide the extent of the next wave of construction.
This was one of the main points from DC Byte’s recent EMEA analysis, which monitors 93 GW of IT capacity across existing facilities, ongoing construction, planned projects, and initial developments. Around 20% of the overall amount is located in Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Dublin, known as the FLAP-D markets.
However, limitations in land and power are driving the need for growth in other areas. The statistics depict a scenario of progress instead of existing stockpile. Oscar Gomez Comellas, the research manager for EMEA at DC Byte, stated that approximately 60% of the area’s pipeline is still in its early phase.
In a related article: Grid Constraints Direct Dutch Data Centers Away from Amsterdam. “He stated that several steps must be taken before we can deem it realistic,” he informed Data Center Knowledge, emphasizing that power availability is the primary hindrance to implementation. Beyond FLAP-D: Nordics Paces Ahead; Milan and Madrid Gain Ground.
The Nordics are presently deploying capacity at the quickest rate since development commenced earlier than in cities like Milan and Madrid, as per Gomez Comellas. He stated that this lead could decrease in the next year as projects in Milan and Madrid are prepared for operation. Michael Winterson, secretary general of the European Data Centre Association (EUDCA), expects the number of European markets with over 1 GW installed to grow from five to between 12 and 14.
Winterson explained that this is due to a rise in national demand combined with decreased risks associated with new deployments, according to Data Center Knowledge. “This is further motivated by energy concerns and other planning challenges, which pushes development towards markets with available capacity.” Despite this, the well-established centers continue to have benefits in terms of connectivity and customer preference.
