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Data4 laid the first stone of its New Data Center Campus in Athens

19 Νοεμβρίου 2024

The new data center campus will be operational early 2027

Athens, Greece – November 19^th, 2024 – Data4, a leading European data center provider, laid the first stone of its new data center campus in Paiania, East Attica Region, Greece in an inauguration ceremony held today. The ceremony was honored by the presence of the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Ambassadress of France in Greece, Laurence Auer, the Bishop of the Orthodox Church of Paiania, Metropolitan of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki, Nikolaos, the Ministers of Development and Digital Governance, Takis Theodorikakos and Dimitris Papastergiou, the Governor of Attica, Nikos Hardalias and the Mayor of Paiania, Ιsidoros Madis.

The inauguration ceremony, which was organized with the support of the Greek-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry, took place in the construction site of the new data center campus located in Paiania, two months after Data4’s announcement of this major investment of over 300 million euros at the Platform Global 2024 event. This investment is part of the group's €7 billion European expansion plan by 2030, which aims to make it Europe's leading data center operator.

Data4 Group has a pan-European footprint and operates in several markets such as France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Germany and has now entered the Greek market, a promising hub of connectivity in the Mediterranean.

“I’m delighted to embark Data4 on this new exciting Greek adventure. The Greek market has such an amazing potential. In terms of digitalization of services, the country is well ahead of other European countries. Today, Data4 is injecting 300 million euros into the local economy, creating the largest digital campus in Greece with 2 data centers, and we want to develop additional assets, and invest even more” said Olivier Micheli, President and CEO of Data4.

The new data center campus’ capacity and an employment pool

The new campus is located in an industrial zone, ensuring proximity to substantial power resources. ATH1 is being built on a 7.5-hectare plot in Paiania, and will be powered with up to 90 MW of power capacity. The first data center of the campus is estimated to be operational by the end of 2026, beginning 2027.

Data4’s ATH1 will encompass a wide range of skills: managers, engineers, technicians, workers, etc. The Group estimates that by 2030 it will have created more than 7,000 permanent jobs, across its campuses in Europe and over 500 permanent jobs in its Greek campus.

Greece, a strategic connectivity hub

Greece's advantageous position as a hub between Europe, Asia, and Africa makes it an ideal location for international connectivity projects. The country's integration into the global network is further strengthened by the landing of several major submarine cables, such as the AAE-1 cable system, which connects Greece to key markets in the Far East, Middle East, and Africa. It is estimated that by the end of 2024, 20 subsea cables will be connecting Greece to the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) region and Asia. At the same time, the Greek data center market is growing rapidly, with total market capacity expected to more than double by 2030.

By 2030, the number of data centers in Europe is set to increase by a factor of 3.5, to around 23 GW of installed capacity. Almost half of this capacity (11 GW) should be dedicated to artificial intelligence, according to Data4 studies; and Greece will not be an exception to this fundamental trend.

Innovation, sustainability and AI development

In an era where data-driven decisions are crucial, the data center infrastructures, supported by artificial intelligence, are the pillars on which sustainable digital growth is built. All the digital services of our administrations, e-learning, e-commerce, streaming or even social networking sites are based on them.

To ensure a sustainable digital growth, Data4 Group has introduced a number of innovations, in all its campus sites across Europe, aimed at reducing its environmental footprint, such as the use of AI models to improve energy efficiency and extend the lifespan of equipment through predictive maintenance.

Moreover, Data4’s goal is to achieve BREEAM certification with an "Excellent" rating for its data centers in Greece. This certification covers key criteria, including energy efficiency, water management, sustainable materials such as low-carbon concrete, and the preservation of biodiversity. By meeting these rigorous standards, Data4 will be among the first in Europe and the very first in Greece to have BREEAM-certified data centers, setting a new benchmark for sustainability in the industry.

Associates for the Greek project

The Greek law firm Zepos & Yannopoulos, along with engineering firms Cap Ingelec and Blue Sun, were pivotal in navigating the legal and technical aspects of the construction of the new data center campus. Knight Frank advised on securing the transaction, as well as Hill international who helped Data4 with consulting and permitting procedures.

About Data4

Data4 is a major European operator and investor in the data center market. The Group finances, designs, builds and operates its own data centers.
Data4 Group has pioneered an ultra-connected, resilient and sustainable data center campus model, with the aim of supporting its customers' digital growth over the long term by providing them with scalable and secure hosting solutions for their IT servers, ranging from a single rack to a dedicated building.
The Group is committed to a proactive approach to sustainable development through its Data4 Good program, which is based on 4 main pillars: environment, people, community and governance.
Data4 Group operates some of the most powerful data center campuses in Europe, with land and electricity reserves that are unique on the European market. Data4's data centers in France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Germany and now Greece are home to international cloud operators and major telecoms providers, as well as innovative tech companies and multinationals.
For more information: data4group.