Europe’s Data Centre Power Demand Expected to Triple by 2030, Says McKinsey Report
A recent McKinsey report reveals that Europe’s data centre power consumption is projected to nearly triple by 2030, necessitating a significant increase in electricity supply, primarily from low-carbon sources, as well as upgrades to grid infrastructure.
Why It Matters:
The surge in data centre investment, driven by the rise of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI), has sparked concerns about how countries will meet the growing demand for electricity. As the number of massive data centres expands, countries will need to address this power demand challenge.
The Context:
According to the International Energy Agency, while much of the data centre growth will occur in the United States, China and Europe are also expected to see significant increases in data centre installations in the coming years.
Key Figures:
- In Europe (including the EU, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK), the total IT load demand for data centres is expected to rise from 10 gigawatts (GW) today to around 35 GW by 2030, according to the McKinsey report.
- Power consumption for data centres in the region is forecasted to grow from 62 terawatt hours (TWh) today to more than 150 TWh by 2030.
- Data centres are expected to account for around 5% of total European electricity consumption by 2030, up from approximately 2% today.
- Meeting this demand will require an investment of $250-300 billion in data centre infrastructure, excluding power generation capacity.
Key Quote:
“Meeting this rising electricity demand will require a significant expansion of electricity supply—a notable shift for Europe, where total power demand has remained relatively stable since 2007,” the McKinsey report states.
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