“ COMBINED WITH MOUNTING PRESSURE FOR MORE DATA CENTRE SPACE, IT SEEMS THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING IN A PERFECT STORM.
I N F O G R A P H I C
GREEN CONCERNS RISE FOR UK AND IRISH DATA CENTRE BUILDERS
New research has revealed a significant focus on environmental impact among those managing data centre construction projects in the UK and Ireland.
Energy solutions specialist Aggreko found that a third of UK construction managers and over 40 % in Ireland rank reducing their projects ' environmental footprint as a primary concern.
The findings, drawn from a survey of 495 European data centre construction managers( including 104 from the UK and Ireland), come as the industry grapples with a capacity crunch driven by soaring demand. Experts suggest the current pipeline of planned data centre developments is insufficient to meet needs through 2025.
The survey also highlighted a growing prioritisation of sustainability. A striking 96 % of Irish respondents indicated sustainability was more important now than three years ago, with over 70 % of their UK counterparts echoing this sentiment.
Interestingly, the key drivers for adopting greener technologies differed. Legislation was the primary motivator in the UK, while lowering carbon emissions took precedence in Ireland. However, a concerning disconnect between boardroom awareness and on-site implementation of green policies was identified by over two-thirds of UK and four-fifths of Irish respondents.
Looking at specific technologies, battery energy storage systems( BESS) were favoured by over a third of UK respondents, while a third in Ireland leaned towards future fuels like hydrogen or biomethanol. Cost and accessibility of biofuels were identified as significant barriers to wider adoption of greener solutions in both the UK and Ireland.
Billy Durie, Global Sector Head for Data Centres at Aggreko, said:“ It is not a surprise to us that data centre construction managers are finding it difficult to battle the challenges facing the industry. Combined with mounting pressure for more data centre space, it seems that we are currently operating in a perfect storm.
“ For data centre construction managers active in the UK and Ireland, it is vital they work together with a trusted and reliable energy supplier that understands the industry’ s challenges. At Aggreko, we know that it’ s not as simple as taking the plunge on greener upgrades; there are various barriers that must be navigated and managers need flexibility on their side to be able to respond to whatever challenges are thrown their way.
“ We know, and our survey has shown, that it is not for a lack of wanting that data centre construction managers are unable to meet sustainability targets as
“ COMBINED WITH MOUNTING PRESSURE FOR MORE DATA CENTRE SPACE, IT SEEMS THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING IN A PERFECT STORM.
quickly or efficiently as they would like. By supporting the industry, we can work together to address many of these issues simultaneously through temporary power storage and provision solutions.” �
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