Latest news with #Ember
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Poor grid planning could shift Europe's data centre geography, report says
By Forrest Crellin PARIS (Reuters) -Europe's leading data centre hubs face a major shift as developers will go wherever connection times are shortest, unless there is more proactive electricity grid planning, a report on Thursday by energy think-tank Ember showed. Data centre buildout has exploded in recent years as tech companies race to put together the strongest offering of competitive artificial intelligence (AI) models, which rely on a new generation of power-hungry data centres. This could lead to a geographical shift in investment in Europe as developers look for new places with easier power access and shorter lead times, the report said. By 2035, half of Europe's data centre capacity could be located outside the current main hubs Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin, the report said. This could leech billions of euros in investments from the congested countries, as data centres in Germany contributed 10.4 billion euros ($12 billion) in GDP in 2024 which should more than double by 2029, and it could slow job growth, it said. Only France, is expected to maintain continued data centre investment as the grid remains relatively unconstrained, the report said. Connecting a new data centre to the grid in legacy hubs can take an average of 7–10 years, with some projects facing delays of up to 13 years, the report said. However, wait times in newer markets are much shorter, with Italy taking just three years, it said. "Grids are ultimately deciding where investments go ... they are now effectively a tool to attract investment," said Elisabeth Cremona, Senior Energy Analyst at Ember. "In Europe's push for competitiveness and economic growth, it now needs to be taking into account grids and driving investment to that infrastructure if it wants to see other projects materialise," she said. She added that this is not unique to data centres but covers all industry, as any kind of industry that is either new or looking to electrify is going to go through the same process. In Sweden, Norway and Denmark, data centre electricity demand is expected to triple already by 2030. In Austria, Greece, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Portugal and Slovakia data centre consumption is projected to increase by three to five times by 2035 compared to 2024. ($1 = 0.8692 euros)
CNA
2 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Poor grid planning could shift Europe's data centre geography, report says
PARIS :Europe's leading data centre hubs face a major shift as developers will go wherever connection times are shortest, unless there is more proactive electricity grid planning, a report on Thursday by energy think-tank Ember showed. Data centre buildout has exploded in recent years as tech companies race to put together the strongest offering of competitive artificial intelligence (AI) models, which rely on a new generation of power-hungry data centres. This could lead to a geographical shift in investment in Europe as developers look for new places with easier power access and shorter lead times, the report said. By 2035, half of Europe's data centre capacity could be located outside the current main hubs Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin, the report said. This could leech billions of euros in investments from the congested countries, as data centres in Germany contributed 10.4 billion euros ($12 billion) in GDP in 2024 which should more than double by 2029, and it could slow job growth, it said. Only France, is expected to maintain continued data centre investment as the grid remains relatively unconstrained, the report said. Connecting a new data centre to the grid in legacy hubs can take an average of 7–10 years, with some projects facing delays of up to 13 years, the report said. However, wait times in newer markets are much shorter, with Italy taking just three years, it said. "Grids are ultimately deciding where investments go ... they are now effectively a tool to attract investment," said Elisabeth Cremona, Senior Energy Analyst at Ember. "In Europe's push for competitiveness and economic growth, it now needs to be taking into account grids and driving investment to that infrastructure if it wants to see other projects materialise," she said. She added that this is not unique to data centres but covers all industry, as any kind of industry that is either new or looking to electrify is going to go through the same process. In Sweden, Norway and Denmark, data centre electricity demand is expected to triple already by 2030. In Austria, Greece, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Portugal and Slovakia data centre consumption is projected to increase by three to five times by 2035 compared to 2024.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Poor grid planning could shift Europe's data centre geography, report says
PARIS, June 19 (Reuters) - Europe's leading data centre hubs face a major shift as developers will go wherever connection times are shortest, unless there is more proactive electricity grid planning, a report on Thursday by energy think-tank Ember showed. Data centre buildout has exploded in recent years as tech companies race to put together the strongest offering of competitive artificial intelligence (AI) models, which rely on a new generation of power-hungry data centres. This could lead to a geographical shift in investment in Europe as developers look for new places with easier power access and shorter lead times, the report said. By 2035, half of Europe's data centre capacity could be located outside the current main hubs Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin, the report said. This could leech billions of euros in investments from the congested countries, as data centres in Germany contributed 10.4 billion euros ($12 billion) in GDP in 2024 which should more than double by 2029, and it could slow job growth, it said. Only France, is expected to maintain continued data centre investment as the grid remains relatively unconstrained, the report said. Connecting a new data centre to the grid in legacy hubs can take an average of 7–10 years, with some projects facing delays of up to 13 years, the report said. However, wait times in newer markets are much shorter, with Italy taking just three years, it said. "Grids are ultimately deciding where investments go ... they are now effectively a tool to attract investment," said Elisabeth Cremona, Senior Energy Analyst at Ember. "In Europe's push for competitiveness and economic growth, it now needs to be taking into account grids and driving investment to that infrastructure if it wants to see other projects materialise," she said. She added that this is not unique to data centres but covers all industry, as any kind of industry that is either new or looking to electrify is going to go through the same process. In Sweden, Norway and Denmark, data centre electricity demand is expected to triple already by 2030. In Austria, Greece, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Portugal and Slovakia data centre consumption is projected to increase by three to five times by 2035 compared to 2024. ($1 = 0.8692 euros)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
EU gas demand to fall 7% by 2030: Ember
A report from global energy think tank Ember projects a 7% decrease in EU gas demand by 2030, potentially rendering new gas capacity as stranded assets. This forecast aligns with the current downward trend, with demand already falling from 404 billion cubic metres (bcm) in 2021 to 326bcm in 2023. Based on EU Member States' National Energy and Climate Plans, Ember's analysis also indicates a further decline to 302bcm by 2030. This contrasts with proposals to expand LNG import capacity by 54% within the same timeframe, suggesting a looming oversupply and financial risk for new gas investments. The report utilises the latest data from national targets to provide insights into the future of gas demand and other energy sector trends up to 2030. With the recent submission cycle for national targets concluding last month, the analysis reflects the most current strategic directions of EU Member States. Ember electricity transition analyst Tomos Harrison said: 'National targets send a strong signal: the EU is ditching fossil gas for good. This gas decline is already in progress, and 2030 targets show another strong fall to come.' Renewable energy sources are set to play a significant role in the EU's energy mix, with member states planning to double wind and solar capacity in the next five years. This growth trajectory positions renewables to generate two-thirds of the EU's electricity by 2030. Additionally, the electrification rate within the EU's final energy consumption is expected to increase from 23% to 30% by 2030. This shift is supported by the adoption of electric technologies such as heat pumps, which are replacing traditional fossil fuel-based appliances. Concerning these energy trends, the European Commission and the Polish Presidency of the Council have also recently launched the Energy Union Task Force. This strategic initiative aims to enhance cooperation on critical energy policy issues and provide political impetus to address challenges in developing a cohesive Energy Union. "EU gas demand to fall 7% by 2030: Ember" was originally created and published by Energy Monitor, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
EU member calls for review of ban on Russian gas
The EU should keep the option of resuming Russian gas imports on the table once a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev is reached, the Austrian energy ministry told the Financial Times on Tuesday. The Austrian proposal, previously voiced by Hungary and Slovakia, comes as the European Commission prepares to bypass member states' vetoes with a trade law bill that would prohibit any new gas deals with Russia and end current deals within two years, regardless of the outcome of peace talks. Brussels 'must maintain the option to reassess the situation' after the Ukraine conflict is resolved, the Austrian ministry told the newspaper. Austrian State Secretary for Energy Elisabeth Zehetner reportedly pleaded with her EU peers at a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, diplomats with knowledge of the discussions told the FT. This is the first time since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022 that an EU country other than Hungary and Slovakia has publicly signaled openness to restoring gas ties with Moscow in the event of a peace settlement. Italy, ranked as a major importer of Russian gas in 2024 by the think-tank Ember, has also floated the option of resuming gas imports once the conflict ends behind closed doors, the newspaper claimed. Bloc officials firmly oppose such a step. A potential peace deal should 'not lead to us starting to import Russian gas again,' EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen told the FT on Monday. Russian pipeline gas accounted for more than 40% of EU imports in 2021 but had dropped to about 11% by 2024. Moscow dramatically reduced exports to the bloc in 2022 following Western sanctions and the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. Despite this, EU nations reportedly spent €927.4 million on Russian pipeline gas last December alone, while the bloc's imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) amounted to €917 million. Both figures were at their highest since the beginning of 2023. Land-locked Austria bought around 80% of its gas from from Russia until last year, when Kiev cut supplies via Ukrainian pipelines. Hungary and Slovakia have previously opposed sanctioning Russian gas imports, which currently require unanimous approval of all member states. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has also criticized the proposal to completely phase out Russian gas by 2027 as 'absolute insanity,' warning that it could trigger energy price hikes and seriously undermine the sovereignty of EU member states. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has pledged to block the initiative.
