The data centre market in the EMEA region has entered a new phase of development. While just a few years ago investment locations were determined primarily by demand, today access to electricity is becoming the key factor. According to the latest report by advisory firm Colliers, “EMEA Data Centre Markets Report | H1 2026,” energy constraints in Europe’s largest hubs are causing investment to shift to new locations, including Poland and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
There is currently 12.5 GW of operational data centre capacity in the EMEA region, with as much as 78 GW of new projects in preparation. However, their delivery will depend above all on the ability to provide adequate energy infrastructure.
Europe Is Changing Direction
The Colliers report shows that the data centre market is no longer constrained by demand. Demand for new capacity remains at record levels and is being driven by the rapid growth of hyperscale cloud services, the sharp increase in the use of artificial intelligence, and increasingly stringent requirements concerning data sovereignty and the location of digital infrastructure.
At the same time, Europe’s largest markets — Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin, known as FLAP-D — are reaching the limits of their development capacity. Access to power grids, longer connection times, complex administrative procedures and declining availability of land for new projects are becoming growing challenges.
These barriers are precisely why investors are increasingly looking for alternative locations that can offer not only adequate demand, but above all the ability to deliver power quickly.
“Energy has become the key filter for capital in this sector. Investors are no longer relying solely on demand growth, but are prioritising assets and locations where access to energy is secure and deliverable. This is accelerating the rotation of capital towards markets capable of scaling investment, even if they have historically remained outside the mainstream,” said Gonzalo Martin, Head of Data Centres Capital Markets for EMEA at Colliers Spain.
Poland and Central and Eastern Europe Gain Strategic Importance
As constraints in Western Europe grow, Central and Eastern European markets are becoming increasingly important. The report indicates that Poland is among the locations that could capture a significant share of new investment thanks to greater land availability, relatively better access to energy infrastructure and the ability to deliver large-scale projects.
One of the most spectacular projects currently planned in Europe is the Baltic Data Centre Campus, developed by Polish company WBS Power. The initially declared capacity of the investment was 1.9 GW, while according to the investor’s latest announcements it is expected to reach as much as 3.2 GW, placing the project among the largest ventures of this type in the EMEA region. By comparison, the NEOM project in Saudi Arabia involves the construction of 1.5 GW of infrastructure, while AI campuses of around 1 GW each are planned in France, Spain and Finland.
The scale of these projects shows that Poland is no longer being seen merely as a supplementary market to Western Europe, but is beginning to play the role of one of the new pillars of Europe’s digital infrastructure.
“We are observing a clear geographical shift in the European data centre market. Just a few years ago, most investment was concentrated almost exclusively around the largest hubs in Western Europe. Today, competitive advantage is being built by locations where adequate connection capacity is available and where the process from agreeing terms with the distribution system operator to completing the connection is short and efficient. Poland has the potential to play a very important role in this process,” said Dariusz Chrzanowski, Head of Energy Advisory at Colliers.
Operators Are Changing Their Approach to Energy
Growing constraints in power grids are also changing the strategies of data centre operators themselves. More and more investors are choosing to develop their own energy sources, build microgrids and deploy energy storage systems that reduce dependence on public power grids.
At the same time, integration with renewable energy sources and the recovery of waste heat from data centres are becoming standard. Particularly advanced solutions in this area are being implemented, among other places, in Helsinki, where heat from data centres supplies municipal district heating systems.
The Colliers report also points to the development of entirely new technologies. One of the most innovative directions is floating AI data centres powered by energy from offshore wind farms. The first commercial deployments of such solutions are planned in the United Kingdom in 2028.
The Middle East Strengthens Its Position, but Investors Are More Selective
The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are also playing an increasingly important role on the global data centre map. National digitalisation strategies, the development of infrastructure for hyperscalers and gigawatt-scale AI projects mean that the region remains one of the most attractive investment destinations in this area.
At the same time, Colliers notes that rising geopolitical tensions are changing the way these markets are assessed. Investors are placing increasing emphasis on infrastructure resilience, energy security and the long-term stability of projects.
The Market Enters a New Phase
The European data centre market is becoming increasingly selective. Competitive advantage is no longer built solely on market size or demand levels. Today, the success of new investments is determined primarily by energy availability, infrastructure readiness and the efficiency of administrative processes.
For Poland, this represents a unique opportunity to strengthen its position as one of Europe’s most important markets for the development of digital infrastructure. If the country manages to maintain competitive conditions for investors and ensure the appropriate development of the energy grid, it could become one of the main beneficiaries of the new map of the European data centre market.
Source: CEO.com.pl
