Greece prepares to debut its largest data centre, fueled by a surge in demand from artificial intelligence applications
The investment outlook for data center development in Greece by 2030 is promising, aligning with Europe's robust growth in data center construction. Although specific granular data for Greece is limited, several contextual factors indicate a strong potential for data center development in the country.
Europe’s data center construction market is expected to grow from USD 11.6 billion in 2024 to USD 32.27 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 18.58%. This growth encompasses expanded power capacity and infrastructure growth across the region, which would include Greece as part of the broader European market.
One of the key factors driving this potential growth is Greece's active development of its renewable energy sector. The government targets to reach 61% renewable electricity by 2030, underpinning sustainable power supply prospects crucial for energy-intensive data centers. Major global technology companies like Amazon have committed to investing in Greek wind farms, and Google and Meta are reportedly exploring power purchase agreements (PPAs) to offset regional data center footprints with green energy.
Lower land costs and favorable regulatory reforms aimed at accelerating renewable energy projects in Greece enhance the economic feasibility for data center developments. The Europe-wide surge in data center power demand and construction, driven by AI, cloud services, and hyperscale computing, suggests indirect benefits for Greek investments. Europe anticipates data center power capacity reaching beyond 3,000 MW by 2030, supporting heavy job creation in construction, operation, and maintenance across this sector.
Regarding job creation, while specific Greek data is unavailable, data center construction and operation in Europe typically generate a range of jobs. These include construction and infrastructure development jobs during the build-out phase, technical roles in facility management, cooling systems, network operations, and security during the operational phase, and indirect jobs through supporting renewable energy projects and local service providers. Greece’s emphasis on clean energy coupled with data center demand trends means the sector is likely to create new employment opportunities in both traditional construction and cutting-edge tech power management.
One of the key players in Greece's data center market is the French firm DATA4. Last year, DATA4 announced an investment of over €300 million for its Greek campus, which is part of its plan to expand in Europe. The company operates a new campus in Peania, east of Athens, and plans to invest €7 billion in Europe by 2030, making it the bloc's leading data center provider. By 2030, DATA4 estimates it will have created more than 7,000 permanent jobs on its campuses in Europe and over 500 permanent jobs on its Greek campus.
The largest data center in Greece, called Athens-3 (ATH3), is being prepared for opening. ATH3, located at an old industrial site in Koropi, near Athens International Airport, represents the Greek government's latest foray into advanced technologies. The pilot project for a sustainable data center launching in Uzbekistan may further impact the global data center landscape.
In conclusion, Greece’s data center investment and job creation outlook by 2030 is positive but should be viewed as part of the broader fast-growing European data center ecosystem. Renewable energy integration, strategic investments by major tech players, and government support for energy infrastructure position Greece well for increased data center development and associated economic benefits by 2030.
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