Top 10 BESS Backed Data Center Projects in Europe in 2025

The Grid-Interactive Data Center: How BESS is Powering Europe’s Digital Future in 2025

An Executive Summary of the BESS-Data Center Convergence

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are fundamentally transforming European data centers from passive energy consumers into active, grid-interactive energy hubs. This strategic integration is no longer a niche experiment but a core requirement for managing the explosive power demands of AI, ensuring uptime amidst grid instability, and meeting aggressive decarbonization mandates. The market is defined by gigawatt-scale projects like Germany’s Project Jupiter, which co-locates a 500 MW / 2, 000 MWh BESS with an AI data center, and hyperscaler initiatives like Microsoft’s successful diesel-generator replacement in Sweden. The dominant theme for 2025 is the emergence of the “Bring Your Own Power” model, where data centers leverage on-site BESS to secure reliable power, participate in energy markets, and become essential assets for grid stability.

Top 10 BESS-Backed Data Center Installations in Europe

The following projects, announced or advancing in 2025, illustrate the scale and strategic variety of BESS integration across the European data center landscape.

1. Project Jupiter

Company: WBS Power, Prime Capital
Installation Capacity: Undisclosed AI Data Center Capacity; 500 MW / 2, 000 MWh BESS
Applications: Powering a co-located AI data center, grid services, renewable energy integration from an adjacent 150 MW solar farm.
Source: Germany Roundup: 500 MW BESS and data centre …

2. Solaria Data Center Platform (Spinazzola)

Company: Solaria
Installation Capacity: 400 MW Data Center; 140 MW BESS
Applications: Creating a self-sufficient energy island by hybridizing a 600 MW solar plant, BESS, and data center. Part of a larger 3.4 GW European data center strategy.
Source: to triple its capacity, double EBITDA and accelerate its …

3. Paks Data Centre Campus

Company: Par Tec AG, 3 D Lézertechnika Zrt.
Installation Capacity: Undisclosed Hyperscale AI Data Center; “Powerful” BESS (capacity undisclosed)
Applications: Integrating a modular hyperscale AI data center with a 530-hectare agro-photovoltaic park and large-scale battery storage.
Source: Par Tec AG and 3 D Lézertechnika Zrt. sign a letter of intent …

4. Microsoft Data Center (Gävleborg)

Company: Microsoft, Saft
Installation Capacity: Not Specified; 24 MW peak output / 16 MWh BESS
Applications: Diesel generator replacement, uninterruptible power supply, grid support services. This serves as Microsoft’s blueprint for sustainable data center design.
Source: Data Centers | Saft | Batteries to energize the world

5. Google Data Center (Ghislain)

Company: Google, Centrica Business Solutions
Installation Capacity: Not Specified; BESS capacity not specified
Applications: Zero-emission backup power, replacing fossil fuel generators and enabling potential grid services revenue.
Source: How Energy Storage is Enabling the AI Revolution

6. Innova Data Centre Portfolio

Company: Innova
Installation Capacity: 4, 400 MW (across 10 planned projects); BESS capacity not specified
Applications: Co-locating BESS with five of its ten planned data centers, signaling a programmatic approach to integrating storage into new digital infrastructure.
Source: Innova files plans for 10 data centre projects of 4.4 GW in UK

7. Grenergy “Greenbox” Platform

Company: Grenergy
Installation Capacity: Undisclosed; 2, 100 MWh of secured BESS capacity contracts in Poland
Applications: Developing a massive 31 GWh European BESS platform to support large industrial loads, with a specific focus on the booming data center sector.
Source: Grenergy secures 2.1 GWh of capacity contracts for stand- …

8. Eurowind/Edora Energy Park

Company: Eurowind, Edora
Installation Capacity: 2-10 MW Data Center; 10.8 MW / 43.2 MWh BESS
Applications: A dual-role system providing both data center backup power and participating in grid balancing services for the wider renewable park.
Source: Eurowind, Edora to develop data center within renewable …

9. Scandinavian Data Centers (Eskilstuna)

Company: Scandinavian Data Centers (SDC)
Installation Capacity: Not Specified; BESS capacity not specified
Applications: Enhancing resilience and sustainability at a unique subterranean, high-security data center, launched in February 2025.
Source: Scandinavian Data Centers launches battery storage …

10. Virtus Data Centre (Milan)

Company: Virtus Data Centres
Installation Capacity: 70 MW Data Center; BESS integration anticipated
Applications: Large-scale colocation in a key European hub where BESS is becoming a de facto requirement for securing grid connections and competitive energy costs.
Source: New Data Center Developments: March 2025

Table: Summary of Europe’s Top BESS-Backed Data Center Projects, 2025

From Cost Center to Profit Center: The New Economics of Data Center Power

The diversity of these projects signals a pivotal shift in how the industry views energy storage. BESS adoption is fragmenting into several distinct, highly strategic models. The most ambitious are the Gigawatt-Scale Integrated Energy Hubs, like Project Jupiter in Germany and Solaria’s Italian project. These ventures treat the data center as an anchor tenant within a larger renewable energy park, solving power procurement, grid connection, and sustainability in a single, integrated design. At the other end, hyperscalers like Microsoft and Google are driving the Diesel Replacement & Grid Services model. By replacing polluting generators with BESS, they not only achieve corporate sustainability goals but also turn a static insurance asset into a dynamic one capable of generating revenue from grid services. This dual-use capability is a game-changer for data center economics. Finally, the rise of developer-led portfolios from companies like Innova, which is planning 4.4 GW of data centers with integrated BESS, shows the market is industrializing this concept, creating a new asset class of shovel-ready, power-integrated sites.

Europe Data Center Storage Market Nears $1.2B

This forecast illustrates the significant economic shift discussed in the section, with the market projected to more than double by 2034. This growth confirms that BESS is moving from a cost center to a profitable investment.

(Source: Global Market Insights)

European Hotspots: Where Megawatts and Megabytes Converge

The geographic distribution of these projects reveals a pan-European trend, with distinct regional drivers. Germany and the UK are leading in large-scale integrated developments, exemplified by Project Jupiter and Innova’s massive UK portfolio. This leadership is fueled by mature energy markets, strong government policy, and intense data center demand near major financial and population centers. Meanwhile, the Nordics—particularly Sweden—have become the proving ground for hyperscaler innovation. Microsoft’s pioneering diesel replacement project leverages the region’s abundant renewable energy and progressive grid operators. Southern and Eastern Europe are rapidly emerging as the new frontier. Italy (Solaria, Virtus), Hungary (Paks Campus), and Poland (Grenergy) are attracting investment for huge, integrated projects that leverage high solar irradiance and the opportunity to build new, modern grid infrastructure from the ground up. This geographic expansion proves that BESS-backed data centers are no longer a niche solution but a mainstream strategy being adapted to regional market conditions across the continent.

UK and Germany Lead Europe’s Data Center Market

This chart confirms the section’s focus on European hotspots by ranking market capacity. The United Kingdom and Germany are clear leaders, reinforcing their role in driving large-scale developments.

(Source: Cushman & Wakefield)

Beyond the Pilot: BESS Integration Reaches Commercial Scale

The projects of 2025 demonstrate that BESS for data centers has moved decisively from the pilot stage to full commercial maturity and is now scaling rapidly. The sheer size of projects like Project Jupiter (2, 000 MWh) and developer pipelines from Innova and Solaria (totaling multiple gigawatts) indicates market confidence and a standardized, repeatable model. The technology’s application has matured beyond simple backup. The Eurowind/Edora project in Denmark, where the BESS has a higher power rating than the data center, is a prime example. It is explicitly designed for a dual role: providing uninterruptible power and actively participating in lucrative grid balancing markets. This move from a passive to an active asset is what defines the current market. Hyperscalers like Microsoft now refer to their BESS deployments not as experiments but as “blueprints” for all future data centers, cementing the technology’s role as a core component of modern digital infrastructure.

Europe BESS Capacity Shows Exponential Commercial Growth

The rapid, 224-fold increase in cumulative BESS capacity since 2015 visually confirms the section’s argument. This exponential growth demonstrates that battery storage has moved beyond pilots to full commercial scale.

(Source: ESS News)

The Future is Integrated: Data Centers as Active Energy Assets

These installations signal a clear and irreversible future direction: data centers will operate as fully integrated, grid-interactive energy hubs. BESS is the linchpin enabling this evolution, solving the immediate challenges of AI-driven power demand and grid constraints while unlocking new revenue streams. Looking ahead, we anticipate a surge in the Energy-as-a-Service (Eaa S) model, where third-party energy specialists finance and operate the on-site BESS, removing the upfront capital cost for data center owners. Furthermore, the “grid-interactive data center” is solidifying its status as a new, highly attractive asset class for infrastructure investors like Prime Capital, who recognize the combined value of digital and energy assets. As regulations like Germany’s mandate for 100% renewable energy for new data centers from 2027 become more common, the “Bring Your Own Power” model—uniting data centers, renewables, and BESS—will become the industry standard for resilient, sustainable, and profitable digital infrastructure.

Data Center Power Demand to Nearly Triple

This forecast quantifies the massive surge in electricity demand that necessitates the integrated energy hubs discussed. The projected tripling of demand by 2030 highlights why data centers must evolve into active energy assets.

(Source: Benchmark Source – Benchmark Minerals)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are European data centers installing Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)?

Data centers are installing BESS for three primary reasons: to manage the massive power demands of AI, to ensure continuous operation (uptime) during grid instability, and to meet strict decarbonization goals by replacing fossil fuel generators. This allows them to become more active participants in the energy grid.

What is the ‘Bring Your Own Power’ model for data centers?

The ‘Bring Your Own Power’ model is a strategy where data centers develop their own on-site power solutions. By integrating BESS with renewable energy sources like solar farms, they can secure a reliable power supply, reduce dependence on the grid, participate in energy markets to generate revenue, and help stabilize the local grid.

How does a BESS make a data center a ‘profit center’ instead of a ‘cost center’?

Unlike a traditional diesel generator which is a passive, costly insurance asset, a BESS is a dynamic one. It can be used to participate in energy markets by providing grid services like frequency regulation or capacity support. This turns the backup power system into a revenue-generating asset, transforming it from a cost center into a potential profit center.

What is the most significant BESS-backed data center project mentioned in the article?

The article highlights Germany’s ‘Project Jupiter’ as a flagship example. It involves co-locating a massive 500 MW / 2,000 MWh BESS with an AI data center, making it one of the largest gigawatt-scale integrated energy hubs and demonstrating the commercial maturity of this model.

Which regions in Europe are the hotspots for this BESS and data center convergence?

The trend is pan-European, but key hotspots include: Germany and the UK for large-scale integrated projects; the Nordics (especially Sweden) as a proving ground for hyperscaler innovations like diesel replacement; and Southern and Eastern Europe (Italy, Hungary, Poland) as an emerging frontier for new projects that leverage high solar potential.

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