Datacentre demand is large however energy and abilities maintain issues again, survey reveals
Demand for datacentres is robust throughout Europe, however supply is constrained by energy provide, abilities shortages, and provide chain and planning points which are unhealthy sufficient in some circumstances that organisations miss deadlines or lose orders. In the meantime, most datacentre professionals don’t assume present amenities are match for function for synthetic intelligence (AI) deployments.
These are the findings of The BCS Consultancy’s latest Datacentre truths 2026 survey, which questioned 3,000 respondents within the datacentre house. The biggest quantity – 25% of respondents – have been colocation operators, with company occupiers (13%), builders and traders (12%), IT integrators and community operators (each 11%). Respondents accounted for 7.1 million metres2 of datacentre house below their management in 41 nations.
Whereas all (100%) builders and traders questioned had elevated their portfolios up to now six months, 93% of all questioned assume 2026 will likely be characterised by provide constraints. Three-quarters (75%) reported larger labour and supply prices, whereas 86% reported provide chain volatility. A large 95% reported abilities scarcity affecting supply of datacentres, with that more likely to worsen additional.
BCS Consultancy COO Chris Coward stated: “Demand will proceed to outstrip provide, and capability constraints are right here to remain. How briskly we overcome them relies on delivering new infrastructure and sources. However bodily capability isn’t the one restrict – expert labour is a bottleneck. With out it, initiatives stall, timelines slip, and even viable investments can fail. Energy could present the place growth is feasible, however expert folks make it occur.”
Pressures on provide of abilities resulted in 77% of respondents reporting elevated working and labour prices, 75% saying abilities shortages have put stress on present employees, and half (50%) saying they’ve had difficulties assembly deadlines or consumer necessities on account of abilities shortages. Almost one-tenth (9%) stated that they had misplaced orders because of the lack of accessible abilities.
Numerous company respondents (12%) stated they deliberate to extend in-house datacentre capability, in a transfer geared toward larger management over their very own amenities. That determine is up from 4% within the final BCS survey.
In keeping with the survey, 78% of respondents had reported a “notable uplift” in demand associated to AI in 2025, with almost all builders and traders (100%) and repair suppliers (91%) reporting AI-driven demand. Having stated that, solely 20% of datacentres are thought of AI-ready, however that may rise to 70% by 2030.
Almost all (90%) of these questioned regarded energy availability as a key web site choice issue. Concerning vitality provide, 89% anticipated 90% of datacentre vitality to come back from renewables by 2035. In the meantime, 70% believed latest geopolitical occasions will speed up the transfer in direction of regionally generated renewables.
Within the report, BCS Consultancy CEO James Hart stated: “We will not assume that energy is a procurement step; we have to deal with energy deliverability like we deal with a secured anchor tenant. With out it, the remainder of the mannequin is speculative. What actual initiatives are displaying is that grid entry, queue place and deliverability dates have gotten the market, they determine the place something will get constructed, who wins offers and what will get financed.”
