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03.06.2026 | Powering Europe's digital infrastructure
How Axpo and Iron Mountain Data Center are contributing to a more sustainable future for data centres
Global data consumption is rising exponentially, driven by the proliferation of artificial intelligence, GPU-as-a-service (see infobox) and enterprise cloud services. As the AI boom continues, however, such rapid growth also presents a significant challenge. The data centres that store, process and distribute this digital information are among the world’s most energy-intensive facilities – and real power guzzlers. If the world’s climate goals are to be met, these vital facilities must be powered with renewable energy.
Europe's electricity consumption of data centre is expected to grow by approximately 150% from around 96 TWh in 2024 to 236 TWh by 2035, with intermediate forecasts of 168 TWh for 2030.¹ One large sized data centre can match the power requirements of a large Swiss city with 80’000 inhabitants. Worldwide, according to the International Energy Agency, data centres accounted for around 1.5% of the world’s electricity consumption in 2024.²
To address the anticipated surge in data centre electricity consumption, a multi-faceted approach is required. Key strategies include supplying local heating networks with waste heat, implementing energy-efficient solutions, deploying advanced cooling technologies, utilising digital energy optimisation systems, and integrating battery storage. Finally, renewable energy is a critical component of this strategy, as demonstrated by Axpo's recent partnership with Iron Mountain Data (IMDC).
Under a recently signed three-year agreement, Axpo will power IMDC’s data centres throughout Germany with 100 per cent renewable electricity. From 2027, approximately 107,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of wind and solar produced electricity will be supplied annually, avoiding tonnes of CO2 emissions a year. The agreement runs until the end of 2029.
Elsewhere in Europe, the agreement will see Axpo provide IMDC facilities with secure access to renewable electricity in Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Highlighting the importance of the new partnership, Iron Mountain Data Martijn van Wijngaarden said it is in line with the operator’s ultimate goal of achieving climate neutrality: “With Axpo, we have found a reliable partner for green power supply that supports our sustainability goals.”
Axpo Head of Origination for Eastern and Western Europe Domenico Franceschino welcomed the deal, saying: “Our agreement demonstrates how international collaboration and innovative energy solutions are paving the way to a carbon-free future. We’re delighted to support Iron Mountain Data in decarbonising its data centres across multiple European countries.”
As an international energy partner, Axpo is able to provide clients with carbon-free energy solutions and tailored supply concepts. In this case, the ability to leverage Axpo’s impressive generation capacity for the fulfilment of large-scale commercial contracts means it can provide IMDC with the stable and substantial supply of energy that its data centres require for their efficient operation.
The multi-country structure of the agreement between Axpo and Iron Mountain Data clearly emphasises how a coordinated energy supply can meet the growing power demands of the burgeoning, energy hungry data centre sector, and the global digital economy it enables.
¹ ICIS: https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/data-centres-hungry-for-power/
² IEA:Energy demand from AI – Energy and AI – Analysis - IEA
Data centres
Every time we visit a website, start a video stream, use an app or query ChatGPT, data streams run in the background through data centres. There, data is stored, processed and made available around the clock. The facilities consist of a large number of servers, network systems and cooling technology – all in highly secure buildings designed for maximum reliability. Because the servers run continuously, the power requirements are enormous – not only for operation, but also for cooling. Data centres are therefore not only digital hubs, but also major consumers in the power grid with specific requirements in terms of supply security, location conditions and connected load.
GPU-as-a-service
GPU as a Service (GPUaaS) is a cloud computing model where users rent graphics processors (GPUs) over the internet instead of purchasing their own. Users pay only for the actual usage time – similar to electricity or water bills. GPUaaS is commonly used for compute-intensive tasks such as artificial intelligence, data analysis, and video processing.
