Europe moves towards mandatory data centre efficiency standards
The European Commission has announced plans to develop minimum energy-efficiency standards for both new and existing data centres, signalling a significant shift towards greater regulatory oversight of digital infrastructure. The move comes as EU data centre capacity is expected to more than double from approx. 12GW in 2025 to 28GW by 2030, increasing the sector’s share of regional electricity consumption and intensifying concerns around grid capacity, energy affordability, and decarbonisation targets. Ireland provides a clear example of these challenges. Data centres accounted for approx. 22% of the country’s electricity consumption in 2024 – exceeding the combined electricity use of all urban households and placing digital infrastructure at the centre of national energy policy discussions. Alongside a formal assessment of potential efficiency standards by 2027, the EU is also developing a sustainability labelling framework covering areas such as energy performance, water consumption, and clean energy sourcing. The proposals form part of a broader effort to strengthen Europe’s domestic cloud and AI ecosystem while reducing reliance on non-European technology providers, highlighting the growing intersection between digital infrastructure, energy security, and economic sovereignty. Why it matters: As AI-driven demand accelerates, power availability is increasingly becoming a defining constraint on digital infrastructure growth. Europe’s latest proposals suggest future competitiveness may depend not only on access to power and connectivity, but also on the ability to demonstrate efficient and sustainable operations…Read more
Nebius commits £1.7Bn to UK AI infrastructure expansion
AI cloud provider Nebius has selected Kao Data’s Harlow campus for a major AI infrastructure deployment as part of a broader £1.7Bn ($2.26Bn) investment programme in the UK. The 22MW deployment will support Nebius’ growing AI cloud platform, including large-scale model inference and GPU-accelerated computing workloads. Part of the capacity will be dedicated to Nebius Token Factory, a production-scale inference platform designed to help enterprises deploy and optimise AI models at scale. The announcement reinforces the UK’s growing position as a key European AI infrastructure market and highlights continued demand for AI-ready capacity. The deployment will utilise direct-to-chip liquid cooling and be powered by 100% renewable energy, reflecting the technical and sustainability requirements increasingly associated with next-generation AI infrastructure. Why it matters: The investment provides further evidence that AI infrastructure capital is concentrating around locations capable of supporting large-scale GPU deployments. As AI demand accelerates, access to power, advanced cooling technologies, and scalable digital infrastructure is becoming a critical competitive advantage for both operators and national markets…Read more
Google signs multi-billion dollar AI compute agreement with SpaceX
Google has signed a major AI infrastructure agreement with SpaceX, committing to lease approx. 110,000 GPUs and associated compute infrastructure as demand for its Gemini Enterprise platform continues to accelerate. Under the agreement, Google will pay approximately $920Mn per month for AI compute capacity from October 2026 through to June 2029, representing a contract value of roughly $30Bn over the term. The deal follows a similar agreement announced earlier this year between Anthropic and SpaceX’s xAI infrastructure platform. The announcement highlights the emergence of a rapidly evolving market for large-scale AI compute, where specialist infrastructure providers are increasingly supplying GPU capacity to hyperscalers and AI developers. Historically, major cloud providers largely built and operated their own infrastructure; however, the scale and speed of AI demand is creating new opportunities for third-party compute platforms. SpaceX’s growing AI infrastructure footprint includes its Colossus facilities in Memphis, Tennessee, which were originally developed to support xAI’s Grok model but are now increasingly being positioned as commercial AI infrastructure assets. Why it matters: The agreement demonstrates how AI demand is reshaping the digital infrastructure landscape. As access to GPUs, power, and data centre capacity becomes increasingly constrained, compute itself is emerging as a tradable infrastructure product. The deal also reinforces the scale of investment now flowing into AI infrastructure, with multi-billion-dollar compute agreements becoming increasingly common across the sector…Read more
Scotland launches sustainable data centre charter
A coalition of Scottish industry groups has launched a new Data Centre Charter, establishing a set of principles intended to guide future data centre development across the country. Backed by organisations including Prosper, the Renewable Energy Association, Heat Network Scotland, Ravenscraig and Apatura Energy, the charter focuses on five key areas: renewable energy integration, energy efficiency, responsible water use, district heat network readiness, and community benefit. The initiative comes as Scotland seeks to attract greater digital infrastructure investment, building on advantages including abundant renewable energy resources, a cool climate, and land availability. Data centres have already been identified by the Scottish Government as a priority sector within its Green Industrial Strategy and as a nationally significant development under planning policy. The charter also seeks to address growing scrutiny around sustainability, particularly water consumption and energy use, while encouraging future facilities to be designed with heat reuse and wider economic benefits in mind. Why it matters: The launch reflects a broader shift towards sustainability-led digital infrastructure development. As competition for AI and data centre investment intensifies, regions are increasingly seeking to differentiate themselves not only through power availability and connectivity, but also through environmental performance, community engagement, and alignment with wider energy transition objectives. Scotland’s charter represents an early example of how policymakers and industry are seeking to position markets as attractive destinations for sustainable digital infrastructure investment…Read more