See how the data centre industry is weathering the storm and prepare for what’s next.
The data centre industry is in a constant race to meet surging demand. With the number of facilities needing to increase nearly 2.5 times by 2025 - equating to 3,000 new data centres across Europe - contractors face both significant opportunities and formidable challenges.
From rising material costs and labour shortages to grid connection delays that can severely impact project timelines, the obstacles are numerous. In fact, power availability is now often prioritised over location, as connection delays continue to complicate the construction process.
At Aggreko, we’ve surveyed nearly 500 construction managers across Europe to understand how they are navigating these complexities. Our research dives into pressing issues such as sustainability, efficiency, weather, and energy supply.
To explore these insights further, we’ve created a series of infographics that highlight the key challenges and opportunities shaping the data centre construction landscape. For a deeper dive, simply provide your details, and we’ll grant you access to the full findings on Censuswide.
Discover the data that’s driving the future of data centres.
Research conducted in 2024
8 key regions | UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Benelux and the Nordics
495 construction managers working in data centres
Key insights
What are your top three concerns for the construction industry this year, if any?
Overall, reducing the environmental impact of projects was identified as the biggest concern, at 33%. This was closely followed by higher cost of equipment and material at 31%, with skills shortages and extreme weather patterns and expected downturn in projects all three at 37%. Notable regional differences were observed, though it’s important to note that the distribution across all concerns was relatively even when considering the data as a whole. Less than 1% of respondents reported having no top concerns.
In the past year, has incorrectly sized equipment impacted on your efficiency on site?
52% said that incorrectly sized equipment had affected on-site efficiency in the past year. One solution is to size power and temperature control solutions according to the provider’s recommendation – generally accepted as the best approach.
What are your primary reasons, if any, for using greener technologies in your operations?
In the UK, the primary reasons for adopting greener technologies were legislation dictates, customer requests, and noise reduction.
What are the barriers, if any at all, to using new greener technology on site?
Despite recognising the potential of greener technologies, data centre construction managers highlighted several barriers to adoption. The primary challenge, cited by 48%, was the high cost, which limited the implementation of newer, more efficient equipment on-site.
What type of weather, if any, poses the most risk to your sites?
Overall, UK respondents identified extreme heat as the biggest threat to their sites. However, the distribution by weather type was relatively even across Europe, with snow being the most cited threat and wind the least, at just 13%. The respondents' location had a significant impact on the weather threats selected, highlighting the importance of agile suppliers who can adapt to unexpected or rapidly changing conditions.
What are your top three concerns, if any, regarding high-risk weather?
Across Europe, employee welfare was identified as the top concern resulting from high-risk weather, closely followed by equipment breakdown. In the UK, employee welfare also ranked among the top two issues, with equipment breakdown and increased contract claims making the top three, although material damage emerged as the leading concern.
Key challenges for data centre construction
The data centre construction sector is grappling with major challenges, from inflation and supply chain disruptions to labour shortages and extreme weather:
- Higher costs and reduced supply – Building materials remain expensive and harder to source due to reduced production in key markets.
- Fractured supply chains – Delays and mismatched equipment are adding complexity to already tight project timelines.
- Skilled labour shortages – A lack of specialised contractors is stretching resources and delaying critical builds.
- Extreme weather impacts – Regional weather events are increasingly disrupting construction schedules and complicating builds.
These challenges are particularly pressing as demand for data centres consistently outstrips supply. On top of this, the sector must decarbonise rapidly, with sustainability now including scope 3 emissions from the construction process itself.
At Aggreko, we understand the challenges contractors face, from mitigating weather disruptions to building more resilient supply chains and adopting greener solutions. With innovative technologies like our Greener Upgrades and the expertise of our engineering teams, we provide the flexible, efficient, and sustainable solutions needed to keep data centre projects on track, even in the toughest conditions.