From new technology to smarter, greener ways of running facilities, a lot has happened this year. In this list, we look at the top 10 data centre stories of 2025 that are helping shape the future:
Ambani’s Reliance plan $30bn largest data centre in the world
In January this year, Reliance, the Mukesh Ambani-owned conglomerate, reportedly wanted to build the largest data centre in the world, with plans to construct a multi-gigawatt-scale site in Jamnagar.
Bloomberg reported that the proposed facility would boast a capacity of 3GW, with Reliance set to splash between $20 billion to $30 billion on building the data centre.
OpenAI’s Stargate AI data centre expansion eyes new locations
Earlier this year, OpenAI revealed it was looking to bring its Stargate project across the world, after it unveiled a new scheme designed to help nations of the world build out their own sovereign AI infrastructure.
Dubbed ‘OpenAI for Countries’, the project will sit within Stargate and offer partnerships with countries to help build out their own data centre capacity.
At the time, the AI giant said facilities developed through the scheme will be used to “support the sovereignty of a country’s data” and help nations customise their own locally focused AI systems.
Musk’s xAI data centre allegedly running illegal gas turbines
In April, new images were leaked showing Elon Musk’s xAI data centre featuring a major expansion of on-site gas turbines, which campaigners claim violates environmental regulations. A coalition of conservation and community groups released aerial footage suggesting that the Colossus supercomputing data centre in South Memphis has nearly doubled its number of gas turbines – to around 35 units, far exceeding what the company has applied for in permits.
The groups allege thatxAI is operating the turbines illegally and without oversight, calling the site “the largest industrial source of the smog-forming pollutant NOx in Memphis”.
Are we in a data centre bubble?
“People are investing ahead of the demand,” warned Alibaba chairman Joe Tsai, speaking about the current wave of data centre build-outs in April. As a billionaire investor and Jack Ma’s long-time right-hand man, Tsai knows a thing or two about spotting froth in the market.
That dreaded question—are we in a data centre bubble?—has been gaining traction after TD Cowen’s ill-fated report revealed that Microsoft was cancelling several major data centre projects.
Speculative investment bubbles are nothing new. There was the great Beanie Baby boom of the late ’90s, the Tulip Mania in 17th-century Holland, and more recently, the NFT market, which sank faster than the Titanic.
But, when it comes to the data centre space, is it really just a case of overbuilding? Or is Tsai right: Has the hype around AI, the main force behind the sector’s expansion, inflated expectations beyond reason? Maybe the real issue isn’t overcapacity but overvaluation.
What is driving Saudi Arabia’s $21bn data centre investment surge?
Saudi Arabia is fast becoming a global digital powerhouse, with over $21 billion in data centre investments pledged last month alone.
The unprecedented wave of capital is not just about AI hype—it reflects a broader strategy to position the Kingdom as a leader in digital infrastructure, cloud computing, and AI.
Who is 26North, the firm in talks to buy DigitalBridge?
In May, it was reported DigitalBridge, the digital infrastructure investment giant that owns Zayo Group, was reportedly in line to be acquired by alternative investment management firm 26North.
Based in New York, 26North Partners was founded in 2022 by Josh Harris, the co-founder of the private equity firm Apollo Global Management, which counts notable investments such as Rackspace Technology, Legendary Entertainment, and Yahoo.
Trump’s tariffs threaten to upend the data centre boom with rising costs
President Trump shocked the world in April with sweeping tariffs that have sent stock markets tumbling. The new levies could severely hamper the data centre boom as just about every major cost centre required for buildout was subject to the new taxes.
At the time, Trump already introduced a 25% levy on steel imports last month and has now slapped tariffs on just about every country, including a 20% price increase on all US goods entering the EU. China, meanwhile, has been hit with a 34% levy — a number that could rise to as high as 50% if China fails to lift retaliatory duties on US exports.
Europe’s largest data centre gets green light in UK’s Hertfordshire
Way back in January, DC01UK, planned to be the largest data centre in Europe, received approval from the planning committee of Hertsmere Borough Council to proceed.
The facility, set to be located on green belt land across from South Mimms service station in Hertfordshire, would span up to two million square feet of space and will cost around £3.75 billion (USD$4.6 billion) to construct.
Despite some local objections filed against the project last year, the data centre was given the go-ahead by the council
Schneider Electric & Digital Realty unveil first carrier-neutral data centre in Crete
Earlier this year, Schneider Electric launched a new HER1 data centre in Heraklion, Crete, in partnership with Digital Realty.
The first carrier-neutral data centre on the island will help close Southern Europe’s digital connectivity gap by linking international, regional and local subsea cables.
The result meant the site will allow cloud providers, telecom companies and CDNs to serve the area more effectively, the technology giant claimed.
The facility works alongside key regional markets like Athens, Barcelona, Marseille, Rome and Tel Aviv, forming part of Digital Realty’s Mediterranean platform, the company revealed at the time.
Blackstone pledges $5bn to expand Spanish data centre project
More recently, investment management company Blackstone revealed it is planning a data centre construction building in Spain in a region striving to become a major cloud computing hub.
Taking place in Aragon, $5 billion is being invested in the region as part of Blackstone’s second phase of the project. As reported by Reuters, documents filed with the regional government showed that, in addition to the original 2024 €7.5 billion ($8.75 billion) investment that was pledged over nine years, this second investment plans to add capacity at the same site, depending on demand from customers.
