Source URL: https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/10/london_has_400_gw_of/
Source: The Register
Title: London has 400 GW of grid requests holding up datacenter builds
Feedly Summary: And up to 70% of stalled energy generation projects are unlikely to be approved, claims regulator Ofgem
While the UK government wants to turbocharge datacenter construction, a newly published report says there are already 400 GW worth of outstanding requests for connection to the power grid around London, and regulator Ofgem estimates 60-70 percent of these will never happen.…
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The text discusses the challenges facing datacenter construction in the UK, particularly around London, where power constraints and sustainability regulations are limiting growth despite increased demand driven by cloud and AI services. A report highlights significant outstanding connection requests to the power grid and the implications for future datacenter developments.
Detailed Description: The text provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of datacenter construction in the UK and the broader EMEA region. Key insights include:
– **Power Constraints**: There are 400 GW of connection requests to the power grid around London, with an estimation that 60-70% of these will not be fulfilled. This underscores significant challenges in scaling power infrastructure to meet datacenter demand.
– **Growth Trends**:
– The EMEA datacenter capacity expanded by 9% to 9.4 GW in mid-2024, with London expected to be the first market in the region to reach a 2 GW capacity in the next 3-5 years.
– Key growth markets (FLAPD) include Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Dublin, with ongoing construction representing a strong development pipeline of 2.9 GW.
– **Regulatory Changes**: The report highlights Ofgem’s revised queue management system aimed at accelerating the connection process and addressing the backlog of projects, moving away from a ‘first-come, first-served’ approach. This is an important development for professionals looking at infrastructure compliance and regulatory impacts in the datacenter sector.
– **Infrastructure Developments**: New projects, such as a recently approved 80 MW facility in Newham, and a 320 MW mega datacenter in Hertfordshire, signify ongoing investment in the sector despite challenges, indicating resilience and adaptability among developers.
– **Emerging Markets**: Milan, Helsinki, and Oslo are highlighted as emerging datacenter markets with significant growth in capacity, showing the changing dynamics of datacenter locations within EMEA.
These insights are crucial for security, compliance, and infrastructure professionals as they highlight both the challenges and opportunities in the datacenter space, particularly as demand from AI and cloud services continues to rise. Understanding these trends can inform risk assessments and strategic planning for future investments in infrastructure.