Data centers are becoming one of the new drivers of electricity demand in Europe. According to a report published by ENTSO-E in May 2026, consumption associated with these facilities will grow by more than 50% between 2025 and 2030, reaching 134 TWh. The same report already identifies more than 10,500 data centers of at least 50 kW in Europe and a total computing capacity of 12.7 GW, reflecting the significant role these infrastructures have acquired in the European energy system.
This boom is explained by the veritable wave of projects for these types of facilities, with announcements of new campuses and expansions in virtually every region, from established hubs like Madrid, Paris, and Frankfurt to emerging centers in northern Spain, the Nordic countries, and Eastern Europe. In Spain, for example, the announced investment portfolio for data centers already exceeds €90 billion, while France is emerging as one of the main European growth drivers with a project pipeline exceeding 10 GW of planned capacity.
However, the increase in data centers is not solely due to the number of facilities, but also to the changing scale of digital demand. Thus, the expansion of artificial intelligence, the growth of the cloud business, and the concentration of capacity in large data centers are increasing both the total energy consumption and intensity of these infrastructures. ENTSO-E also emphasizes that the challenge lies not only in the amount of energy consumed, but also in the speed with which this demand can fluctuate in certain locations, adding pressure to electrical grids already strained by electrification and the integration of renewable energy sources.
In this scenario, energy storage is beginning to play a more prominent role within data center infrastructure. Its function encompasses several areas: power backup, peak load management, improved operational continuity, and greater flexibility in grid connectivity. Added to this is the growing interest in solutions that help align digital growth, security of supply, and energy efficiency goals.
The market associated with these applications also shows a growth trajectory. According to Global Market Insights, the European market for energy storage in data centers grew from $584.9 million in 2024 to a projected $1.2 billion in 2034. This growth reflects increased investment in backup systems and solutions designed to meet the demands of environments where energy availability and operational stability are critical.
Beyond market data, the rise of data centers is part of a broader debate within the European energy sector, centered on how to meet new, high-volume electricity demands without placing the entire burden on the grid. In this context, energy storage is increasingly linked to industrial applications and critical infrastructure, alongside other established uses in renewables, the grid, and self-consumption. Data centers are thus joining the list of sectors expanding the scope of stationary energy storage in Europe. A
must-attend event for a key sector:
The energy needs of data centers will be one of the topics addressed at Battery & Energy Storage Tech Europe. Organized by Fira de Barcelona, this trade show will be held in Barcelona on September 8 and 9, 2026, to explore the challenges of energy storage and discover its latest innovations.
The event, which will bring together more than 100 companies and fifty experts and relevant figures from this industry, was created with the aim of boosting business, discovering opportunities and analyzing the main challenges of a strategic field to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable energy model and drive the transformation of European industry.
