“Data centres are often criticised for the speed at which their power consumption is rising, particularly in major hubs like Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin (FLAP),” Pritchard told Capacity.

“Yet this view overlooks a fundamental point: our industry has consistently driven major gains in efficiency, pushed operators towards cleaner energy sources, and helped accelerate the wider adoption of renewables across the grid.”

According to Pritchard, as demand for digital services continue to soar, data centres have a unique opportunity to reshape their image.

He notes: “By deploying independent microgrids and providing dispatchable power back to the grid, data centres can actively support resilience and climate goals rather than be seen as a strain on local energy systems.”

This comes as the company recently unveiled a new report, ‘Data centre dispatchable capacity: a major opportunity for Europe’s energy transition’ in partnership with Wärtsilä.

As a result, the joint paper found 40% of existing AI data centres will be operationally constrained by power availability by 2027.

The data also found data centres across Europe are expected to increase by 250% by 2030, from 10GW to 35GW. 

“This is a pivotal moment for the sector: if we embrace the ability to give back, we can help strengthen national grids and demonstrate that data centres are not power ‘thieves’, but essential partners in Europe’s energy transition,” Pritchard concluded.

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