Never mind the gridlocks, here’s the fix-alls: overcoming data centre capacity issues

Across Europe, the continent’s major data centre hubs are currently facing severe grid congestion, with operators now encountering multi-year delays and pauses to projects. As grid availability decreases, congestion increases, with data centres consuming approximately 33-42% of local electricity in Amsterdam, London and Frankfurt. In Dublin, this figure rises to nearly 80%.

As a result, better grid availability is becoming a defining factor for where developers bring investment, and the counties most likely to remain at the forefront of this growing market will be the ones who can find new ways to increase capacity quickly.

London’s calling (for more capacity)

Within the United Kingdom, the rise of data centre projects has added unprecedented pressure on an energy grid already strained from other planned elements like electrified transport and heating. While new transmission lines could be built, this isn’t an easy process, and – depending on the size of the project – can take up to 14 years to complete.

Thankfully, there are emerging tools which may help ease this growing strain. Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) has especially been put forward by the National Grid as a viable solution for increasing grid capacity, using sensors to adjust how much electricity can flow through a transmission line. By assessing conditions such as wind speed and direction, ambient temperatures and conductor states, DLR identifies favourable periods when lines can carry more power without exceeding any safety limits.

The National Grid believes approximately 75% of the UK’s entire network could carry more energy if DLR became commonplace, while a recent EU study found that grid-enhancing technologies – including DLR – could increase the continent’s overall network capacity by 40%. This would create enough capacity for data centre facilities to connection without having to wait for new transmission lines. While the technology had only been installed on only 275km of transmission lines as of June 2025, expansion plans should see DLR used on some of the busiest circuits in less than three years.

It’s in your grid, in your grid

The Republic of Ireland also has its own grid issues, with many data centre projects halted due to issues with connection delays and transmission capacity. In fact, new data centre connections have been heavily restricted and/or refused by grid operator EirGrid of late, with facilities using approximately 20-22% of the country’s total electricity demand.

However, the Irish government is still finding ways to promote data centre development within the country. In January 2026, the Large Energy Action Plan (LEAP) was introduced – a national strategy which allows data centres to be built within Ireland, so long as they fund their own energy generation and storage.

To this end, developer Pure DC has created a novel way of overcoming these challenges for its new Dublin-based campus – building Europe’s first gas-fired 100MW microgrid to provide its facilities with an independent power source. Having paid for a grid connection that never happened, Pure DC worked collaboratively with power solutions provider AVK to find a suitable alternative, in line with the recommendations found within the LEAP.

Taking inspiration from US data centres using microgrids, Pure DC’s set-up will eventually comprise three energy centres, each generating 30MW of power, with an additional 20MW provided through a battery energy storage system (BESS) already in use at the plant. The system has been designed to offer 99.99% availability in order to reflect the reliability achieved through the energy grid. If this campus is a success, we may see similar infrastructure adopted across the United Kingdom too.

Cooling down the house

At the same time, cooling capacity has also become a limiting factor within the European data centre market. This is especially true for AI-led facilities, since their servers run hotter and denser than traditional cloud racks. Cooling currently accounts for up to 50% of a data centre’s electricity use and 26 million litres of water annually, with usage only set to increase due to the droughts and extreme heats the continent now experiences regularly.

Several European regulators have now tightened rules on water consumption within these facilities. The Netherlands has introduced stringent environmental requirements for water-cooled data centre facilities, while the Republic of Ireland now requires several data centres to switch to air-cooling in order to reduce water draw. This has led hyperscalers to consider air-cooling, liquid cooling or hybrid systems, all of which require more electrical power – which this blog has hopefully established as an ongoing problem!

Lost in the trade show market

Yet as our team noted at Data Centre World in London this year, vendors now appear to be hyper focused on developing next-generation cooling systems. During the event, Carrier launched a new AI-optimised cooling architecture that integrates intelligent orchestration across a facility, including chillers, Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs), Computer Room Air Handlers (CRAHs), and relevant controls. Daikin also showcased hybrid cooling stacks which blend liquid and free cooling, as well as high-efficiency chillers, to automatically shift modes to reduce energy and water use depending on fluctuating AI workloads.

The event also saw several cooling systems launched that create value for operators beyond the sole dissipation of heat. Frigel, for example, showcased its Synergo modular platform that combines advanced cooling methods with high-grade heat reuse, exporting heat suitable for district-heating networks. Not only does this ease environmental pressure, but positions waste heat as another asset for operators. Taken together, these technologies show the industry recognises the major issues surrounding cooling, and are taking steps to develop purpose-built solutions for the sector to thrive.

Improving your public image (Ltd)

After walking the aisles of DCW, it was clear how many vendors are having to circle the same themes around capacity and cooling innovation. This is where working with a PR agency that genuinely understands the data centre landscape matters: at Proactive PR, our experienced team can help you assess what truly sets you apart, sharpen your messaging so it doesn’t blur into the background, and position your solutions with credibility in a crowded market.

If you’d be interested in hearing more about what we can do for your business, drop us an email at hello@proactive-pr.com!