German data centres turn to gas power despite green energy push by 2027
Data centre operators in Germany are turning to gas-fired power plants despite upcoming legal requirements for renewable energy. At least four such projects are now in development, driven by a lack of grid capacity in key regions. The move comes even as the government pushes for stricter sustainability rules by 2027. In Maintal, near Frankfurt, EdgeConneX is building a 170-megawatt gas plant to power its data centre until a grid connection becomes available in 2037. The company's decision reflects a wider trend: insufficient electricity infrastructure is forcing operators to rely on localised fossil fuel solutions.
E.on and CyrusOne are jointly developing a 61-megawatt gas plant for another data centre, though its exact location remains undisclosed. Meanwhile, Green Mountain is constructing a 54-megawatt backup power station in Mainz, ensuring uninterrupted operations. The Argaman Group's 'Frank Cube' project in Birstein, Hesse, will pair a 200-megawatt data centre with its own dedicated gas plant. Ralph Hintemann, a researcher at the Borderstep Institute, links this shift to grid bottlenecks in areas with heavy data centre growth. Although Germany plans to double grid capacity to six gigawatts by 2030, operators currently have few alternatives. Under existing rules, they can still offset emissions by purchasing renewable energy certificates.
From 2027, German data centres must source all electricity from renewables. Yet with grid limitations persisting, gas plants remain a stopgap solution for now. The government's expansion plans aim to reduce reliance on fossil fuelsābut until then, operators are securing their own power supplies.
