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Digital Realty
Data center news, project activity, and monthly briefings for Digital Realty.
Editor's picks
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The Case Against the EU’s Tech Sovereignty Package
The European Commission unveiled the Tech Sovereignty Package on June 3, 2026, proposing measures (including the Cloud and AI Development Act and Chips Act 2.0) intended to reduce dependence on American technology.
- Main announcement: The EU’s Tech Sovereignty Package (announced June 3, 2026) includes the Cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development Act (which would bar non-European providers from some sensitive public contracts), Chips Act 2.0 (focusing on demand generation for domestic chipmakers), and a target to triple data center output within five to seven years; the Commission notes only one percent of public services are sufficiently sensitive to justify excluding foreign providers.
- Background and detail: The article argues Europe relies on U.S. cloud companies (about 70 percent of the EU cloud market) and produces only 10 percent of the world’s semiconductors; it warns the package risks protectionism, may undermine transatlantic cooperation (including the EU joining Pax Silica), and highlights related frameworks such as the Strategic Roadmap for Digitalization and AI in the Energy Sector (permit streamlining, electricity access, government funding) needed to support data center expansion.
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NVIDIA and Schneider Electric get in sync at NVIDIA GTC 2026 to deliver Vera Rubin AI Factories
Schneider Electric introduced a validated, world’s most comprehensive reference design to support deployment of NVIDIA’s next-gen Vera Rubin AI platform at GTC 2026 in San Jose, California.
- Main announcement:Schneider Electric (Diamond sponsor) and NVIDIA unveiled a validated reference design for the NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72 racks to enable installation and operation of Vera Rubin AI factories; the design includes special drawings, bills of material, schematics, performance specifications, support for rack-scale Vera CPUs and Rubin GPUs, optimized 480 VAC power, and liquid cooling to maximize tokens-per-watt. The announcement was made at NVIDIA GTC, San Jose, CA on May 8, 2026.
- Background and technical details: The reference design is validated and integrated with Schneider Electric’s controls reference designs and supports operation at MaxQ 188 kW/rack and MaxP 227 kW/rack, supports higher TCS supply temperatures (45°C) for enhanced free-cooling opportunities, references Motivair’s MCDU-70 / 2.5MW CDU liquid-cooling tech, and aligns with Omniverse DSX blueprint work validated at Digital Realty’s AI Factory Research Center in Manassas, VA. Schneider also demonstrated an 800VDC power infrastructure prototype and tested NVIDIA’s Nemotron Agentic AI for alarm management.
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Join Us for a Q&A on Our New Vantage Data Center Air Quality Study
PEC released a study that quantified public-health damages from onsite natural-gas power at the Vantage VA2 data center and is hosting a public Q&A to present findings and take questions.
Main announcement: PEC (Piedmont Environmental Council), working with the Harvard-affiliated EmPower Analytics Group, released a study finding that onsite natural gas combustion turbines at Vantage VA2 could cause $53 million–$99 million per year in health-related damages (primarily premature mortality and respiratory/cardiovascular disease), and estimated particulate impacts would reach more than 2.5 million people in the region. The study modelled PM2.5 emissions permitted at Vantage VA2 and concluded impacts are significant despite the site being permitted as a “minor” rather than “major” source.
Background and implementation details: PEC commissioned the analysis because Virginia DEQ and WMCOG have not publicly modelled onsite generation impacts; DEQ has permitted ~10,000 generation units in the region. Vantage VA2 was permitted and modified its site plan in June 2023 to add eight natural gas turbines, becoming Loudoun’s first data-center-scale microgrid. Digital Realty’s Digital Dulles project proposes 23 natural gas turbines (nearly three times Vantage’s) and will require a public special exception under updated county rules; PEC has requested a DEQ public hearing on that air permit.
Event details (public presentation/Q&A hosted by PEC):
- When: Thursday, April 9, 7:00–8:30 p.m.
- Where: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Sterling, 22135 Davis Drive, Suite 104, Sterling, VA 20164
- Agenda / subject: Presentation of the Vantage VA2 air quality study findings, Q&A with lead researcher Michael Cork, discussion of public-health impacts and next steps.
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The Critical Role of AI Operations Comes into Clear Focus at the ‘Superbowl of AI’
Salute launched the industry’s first Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling Operations Service for AI data centers at NVIDIA GTC.
- Main announcement: Salute launched the industry’s first Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling Operations Service for AI data centers at the NVIDIA GTC conference; the service is based on years of work, pilot projects and collaborations with NVIDIA, the NVIDIA ecosystem, OEMs, liquid cooling companies and data center providers, and is intended to enable rapid deployment of DTC liquid cooling operations for AI/HPC facilities.
- Background and details: Jensen Huang reported that NVIDIA has delivered 6 million Blackwells and pre-sold $500 Billion in GPUs and Servers for 2025-2026, highlighting the urgency for purpose-built AI factories, higher energy density operational models, and the need for new skills and training for data center operations teams.
Event details (from article):
- Date: not specified in text
- Location: NVIDIA GTC conference
- Agenda/subject: Showcase of AI innovations; Jensen Huang keynote on accelerated computing fabric, GPU production volumes, and infrastructure needs; Salute exhibiting and launching its Direct-to-Chip operations service.
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NVIDIA Launches Omniverse DSX Blueprint, Enabling Global AI Infrastructure Ecosystem to Build Gigawatt-Scale AI Factories
NVIDIA announced the Omniverse DSX blueprint at GTC Washington, D.C., validating it at the AI Factory Research Center on Digital Realty’s Manassas, Virginia site.
- Main announcement: NVIDIA introduced Omniverse DSX, an open blueprint and digital-twin operating model for designing and operating gigawatt-scale AI factories, validated in a real-world deployment at Digital Realty’s Manassas, Virginia AI Factory Research Center; partners include Jacobs, Bechtel, Vertiv, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Trane Technologies, PTC, Cadence, Phaidra, Emerald AI, Eaton, GE Vernova, Hitachi, Siemens Energy, and Switch.
- Details & implementation: DSX uses OpenUSD and SimReady assets aggregated into PTC’s PLM and integrates Omniverse libraries and NVIDIA CUDA/Cadence Reality Digital Twin for simulation; it supports scaling from 100 megawatts to multi-gigawatts, targets tapping ~100 gigawatts of underutilized grid capacity, and claims up to 30% higher GPU throughput using Max-Q power-optimization. The Manassas build-out is captured as a scalable, repeatable recipe for modular prefabricated delivery by partners (no explicit timeline given).
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Record-breaking £150bn investment unveiled during US State Visit
The UK Government announced the securing of £150 billion of new inward investment commitments from US companies during the US President’s State Visit.
- Main announcement: £150 billion total inward investment package including £90 billion pledge from Blackstone (additional to a prior £10bn datacentre commitment), £3.9 billion from Prologis for Cambridge Biomedical Campus and Daventry upgrades, £150 million from Amentum (creating over 3,000 jobs over the next four years), up to £1.5 billion from Palantir (creating up to 350 jobs), £1.5 billion from CoreWeave for AI data centre capacity, $30 billion (£22 billion) from Microsoft for AI infrastructure, Google £5 billion data-centre investment, and nuclear and small modular reactor commitments (X-Energy/Centrica up to 12 AMRs targeting a 6GW fleet; Last Energy/DP World backed by £80 million private investment). The announcements include ~7,600 new UK jobs (1,000 in Belfast; ~6,000 across Glasgow, Warrington, Midlands, North-East) and specific regional projects in Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, West Cumbria, Humber, Suffolk, Bristol, and Birmingham.
- Background and additional details: reciprocal UK→US commitments include GSK $30 billion in US R&D and manufacturing over five years (including $1.2 billion in new facilities and AI), BP >$5 billion p.a. in the US for five years, OakNorth >$5 billion into the US over three years, and UK Central Government procurement plans of around £60 billion from US companies over five years (part of a wider commercial package of around £280 billion when UK-to-US commitments are included).
Event: Tomorrow [Thursday], at Chequers — UK and US investors will meet the Prime Minister and the US President to discuss deepening economic ties and unlocking further collaboration (agenda: investor discussions on cross-Atlantic investment and implementation of announced commitments).
Recent news
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Digital Realty launches Malaysia operations to advance Southeast Asia’s digital connectivity
Digital Realty has announced the establishment of its Malaysia platform to develop and scale approximately 32 megawatts (MW) of data center capacity across a multi-site Cyberjaya campus.
- Main announcement: Digital Realty will develop ~32 MW of IT capacity in Malaysia via a multi-site Cyberjaya campus (three facilities connected by dedicated fiber). Key assets: KUL10 (operational, 1.5MW now; planned upgrade to nearly double capacity by Q4 2027), KUL11 (newly acquired, 15MW built for AI/HPC), and a new 14MW data center on an adjacent 1.6-acre parcel targeted for completion mid-2028. The platform will integrate into PlatformDIGITAL and enable interconnection via ServiceFabric, supported by >40 network service providers.
- Background and other details: Digital Realty first announced planned entry in January and has since established a multi-site presence in Cyberjaya. Facilities are designed with energy- and water-efficient principles to support sustainability. Malaysian government and ecosystem support is noted: comments from Gobind Singh Deo (Minister of Digital) and Anuar Fariz Fadzil (MDEC CEO), and a stated plan to grow the local team. The expansion connects to regional hubs including Singapore and Jakarta.
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Colocation vs. Public Cloud: Cost, Performance, and How to Choose
This guide clarifies the differences between colocation and public cloud and provides decision guidance for organizations choosing infrastructure models.
- Explains trade-offs between colocation (renting space in third-party data centers such as Digital Realty and Equinix) and public cloud (IaaS operated by cloud providers); covers scalability, performance, cost, security, locational flexibility, and integration.
- Details specific operational considerations: colocation requires leasing rack space and owning/maintaining hardware (scaling can take weeks–months), and involves interconnection/cross-connect fees and remote-hands costs; public cloud enables fast elasticity (servers provisioned in minutes), pay-as-you-go pricing, reserved/committed discounts, managed services (e.g., Kubernetes, AI/ML stacks), and operates under a shared responsibility security model.
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Singapore data center sector draws strong mix of local, regional and US operators – Credit Sights
Credit Sights published a note on APAC data centre financing and market dynamics.
- Main announcement: Credit Sights said APAC data centre operators are anchored by domestic (Keppel DC, ST Telemedia GDC), regional (NTT, AirTrunk, PDG) and international (Equinix, Digital Realty, Vantage) players, with funding coming from bank loans/project finance, REITs, green/ sustainability-linked bonds, and Islamic finance; it highlighted that demand is underpinned by western hyperscalers and regional fintech and enterprises.
- Background and deal details: The note documents multiple specific financings and pipelines including Equinix S$1.15 billion ($900 million) SGD green bonds in 2025 (S$650m [$508m] in Aug; S$500m [$391m] in Mar); STT GDC S$500 million ($391 million) subordinated perpetual bond (NC2030) in 2024; AirTrunk A$1.8bn ($1.28bn) debt package for JHB1 with 23 banks and an ~$3 billion enterprise valuation for JHB1, an expected close “this year” and a potential Singapore REIT raising up to $1.5bn; AirTrunk seeking $2.3bn syndicated loan for JHB2; and DayOne’s MYR 15 billion (about $3.6 billion) financing in Jun 2025 (comprised of MYR 7.5 billion [$5.34bn] Islamic tranche and a $1.7bn offshore term loan) plus later moves to seek up to $7bn in amended loans, consider Series C > $4bn and a $1bn revolving facility ahead of a dual IPO at a $20bn valuation.
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New Data Center Developments: May 2026
Data Center Knowledge published a monthly roundup highlighting global data center project announcements, regulatory moves, and investment commitments driven by hyperscale AI demand.
- Main announcement: The roundup catalogs multiple concrete project actions including Aligned Data Centers’ Project Caprock (540 MW, 313-acre campus in Hale County, Texas; initial delivery Q1 2027), EdgeCore’s completion of $1.5 billion in financing for two Northern Virginia hyperscale centers, and Yondr Group energizing a 27 MW Toronto facility expected in mid-2026. It also notes major investment commitments such as Digital Realty’s near S$7 billion Singapore plan (S$4.3 billion for new data centers) and AWS increasing planned investment in Mississippi to $25 billion.
- Context and details: The piece outlines parallel regulatory updates in U.S. states (Maine vetoed a moratorium; Wisconsin revised We Energies tariff rules; North Carolina advanced legislation to require hyperscalers to cover infrastructure costs), workforce and partnership initiatives (Equinix Foundation with ODATA, Cisco, Vertiv launching training in Brazil, cohorts mid-2026), and other regional projects and financings (TikTok €1 billion Finland site; Ark Data Centres >€600 million Barcelona project; Equinix land purchases in South Africa totaling ZAR 890 million).
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Reliance To Invest $17 Bn To Set Up 1.5 GW Data Centre Cluster In Visakhapatnam
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has announced it will invest ₹1.6 Lakh Cr (~$17 Bn) to set up a 1.5 GW data centre cluster and a captive solar-battery storage system in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
Investment & project footprint:₹1.6 Lakh Cr (~$17 Bn) to develop a 1.5 GW data centre cluster; RIL has requested 935 acres (300 acres for Phase 1, 635 acres for Phase 2). The report states Phase 1 will be at Poliapalli village (reported as 5000 MW in the story) with operations expected by October 2028; Phase 2 is 1 GW at Bhogapuram East and West by 2030. RIL has also sought 1 acre for a cable landing station and 80 acres for a desalination plant.
Renewables, approvals and background: RIL will allocate ₹1.08 Lakh Cr to the data centre cluster and ₹51,300 crore to the renewable energy project; the solar project is reported as 9,000 MW-peak DC capacity (able to generate up to 6,000 MW AC). The investment was cleared by the Andhra Pradesh Investment Promotion Committee on April 25. Background details referenced include the Digital Connexion JV (~$11 Bn for a 1 GW AI-native campus), Google’s announced $15 Bn Visakhapatnam data centre, other local projects (Sify 500 MW, Anant Raj Cloud 300 MW) and MoUs with RMZ (1 GW) and Tillman Global Holdings (300 MW). RIL is also reported to be building a 1 GW AI-ready data centre in Jamnagar and previously announced plans to invest ₹10 Lakh Cr in AI infrastructure.
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Goodman and DataBank partner on Vernon data center
DataBank Holdings and Goodman Group have formed a joint venture to market LAX2, a new 140,000‑square‑foot data center in Vernon, Los Angeles, scheduled to open in December and expand to 32MW by September 2027.
- Joint venture & project details: The companies announced a JV to market LAX2 at 3094 East Vernon Avenue; the facility is 140,000 square feet, scheduled to open in December with an initial 6MW at launch, and will scale in phases to 32MW by September 2027. Goodman developed the project and acquired the site in 2023; DataBank will operate and market it and will complement its nearby LAX1 (18,000 sq ft, 2MW) site.
- Background & financing: Goodman currently manages $12.4 billion of work in progress globally; DataBank recently received a $250 million equity infusion from New York‑based TJC LP and previously completed a $2 billion equity raise in 2024 (including $1.5 billion from AustralianSuper). The JV states both parties intend to expand the relationship into additional capacity‑constrained U.S. markets and LAX2 is part of DataBank’s national pipeline exceeding 850MW across multiple U.S. cities.
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Digital Realty targets nearly $5.5B investment to strengthen Singapore as Asia Pacific AI hub
Digital Realty has announced a S$7 billion investment target in Singapore to expand AI-focused data centre capacity and capabilities.
- Main action: Digital Realty is targeting nearly S$7 billion (US$5.49 billion) of total investment in Singapore, including S$4.3 billion (US$3.37 billion) planned specifically for new data centre developments; the firm also relocated and expanded its APAC regional office to IOI Central Boulevard in July 2025 and expects further expansion in 2026.
- Background & implementation details: The company nearly doubled its Singapore workforce to >300 employees, expects to grow to 400 by 2030, operates a Global Command Center in Singapore, plans to launch a Digital Realty Innovation Lab (DRIL) at Loyang in H2 2026, and collaborates on early-stage quantum data centre initiatives; these are presented as concrete steps to support AI inference and low-latency workloads in the region.
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New Data Center Developments: April 2026
Data Center Knowledge published a monthly roundup of global data center developments and investments.
- Key highlights and announced projects: The roundup summarizes multiple announced projects and financing moves, including Moody’s projection of ~$700 billion hyperscaler capex in 2026, Crusoe’s 900 MW AI data center in Abilene, West Texas (to support Microsoft workloads), Meta’s revised $10 billion investment targeting 1 GW capacity in El Paso with a planned 2028 launch, Penzance Management’s planned $4 billion investment for a 600 MW High Impact Intelligence Center in West Virginia, Aligned Data Centers’ $2.58 billion credit facility for US expansion, Digital Edge’s $665 million green loan for phase I of a 500 MW Bekasi campus, Pure DC’s 110 MW microgrid in Dublin, Prime Data Centers’ €6 billion campus plan for 550 MW, and Datagrid’s approval for a 280 MW hyperscale campus in New Zealand.
- Context and supporting details: The article emphasizes energy and grid constraints and on-site/clean power solutions (e.g., Google + AES onsite clean energy, Concord New Energy + Bridge Data Centers barge-based hydrogen plant, Pure DC microgrid), highlights subsector partnerships (EdgeConneX + Kilimo water-efficiency program; MANTA consortium selecting MDC Data Centers for two cable landing hubs in Mexico), notes regional regulatory shifts (Australia’s new approval framework tying data center approvals to energy/resource commitments), and provides firm-level capital and timeline details where stated (e.g., Meta 2028 launch; Vietnam 200 MW AI data center construction starting end of April).
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APDCA launches sustainable digital infrastructure accord
The Asia-Pacific Data Centre Association (APDCA) has launched the Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Accord (SDIA), a non-binding, region-wide baseline of voluntary sustainability targets for data centres across Asia-Pacific.
- Main announcement: The SDIA sets voluntary targets in four areas: energy efficiency, clean energy use, water use, and the circular economy, and is presented as a non-binding framework to support government-industry dialogue across Asia-Pacific markets; it was launched with 11 signatories including Microsoft, Equinix, Digital Realty, and others.
- Background and details: The accord recognises varying market conditions across Asia-Pacific, cites support from public officials in Malaysia (MDEC) and Singapore (IMDA), references Singapore’s Tropical Data Centre and IT Energy Efficiency standards, and links to regional priorities such as Malaysia’s aim to be an AI Nation by 2030.
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Amazon leads concentrated global hyperscale market
The Business Research Company reported that Amazon led the global hyperscale data centre market in 2024.
- Main finding: The report states the top 10 providers captured 46% of global hyperscale data centre revenue in 2024, and notes Amazon held a 9% global market share in 2024 (the report’s regional breakdown later allocates 10% to Amazon); the top-10 list includes Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, Oracle, Meta, Apple, Alibaba, Equinix, Huawei and Tencent.
- Report details and technology priorities: The sector is shaped by rapid capacity expansion for cloud and AI workloads, investment in higher-density designs, liquid cooling, modular builds and energy efficiency, plus power procurement deals and partnerships; the report highlights AI-driven operations (“autonomous intelligence“, “self-healing cybersecurity frameworks“) and cites Adani Group’s plan to develop renewable-energy-powered, hyperscale, AI-ready data centres targeting 2035 as a “sovereign energy-compute platform“. Regional leader examples (North America, Asia Pacific, Western/Eastern Europe, South America) and institutional investors (e.g., Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Crow Holdings Capital Partners) are listed.
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From Real Estate to AI Factories: 7x24 Exchange's Michael Siteman on Power, Politics, and the New Logic of Data Center Development
Data Center Frontier published a podcast episode featuring Michael Siteman (President, Prodigious Proclivities and longtime 7x24 Exchange leader) discussing how AI demand, power scarcity, network strategy, and local politics are reshaping data center development.
- Main announcement/action: The episode frames site selection as now a systems engineering challenge driven by power availability, network topology, and political risk; Siteman highlights the rapid market shift toward behind-the-meter/onsite generation (usually gas) — noting attitudes changed from “no grid interconnection, no interest” six months ago to willingness to accept onsite generation in the last 30 days. Also cited: rack densities of 120–150 kilowatts and widespread adoption of liquid-to-chip cooling for AI workloads.
- Background and details: The conversation documents increased pre-leasing of capacity before building completion (with lenders wary because contracts often include termination rights), the labor shortage (“Data centers don’t run themselves”), and a concrete cost datapoint that one high-performance AI server with GPUs and storage can cost over half a million dollars; examples include an island-powered site relying entirely on onsite generation where fiber is ~1,000 feet away.
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Central Illinois data center policies advance; environmental, utility concerns remain
Logan County Board advanced local consideration of data-center policy as residents and utilities raised concerns about specific projects (including a proposed 500-megawatt site near Latham).
- Main action: Logan County held a special meeting (March 6, 2026) where residents opposed a proposed 500-megawatt data center near Latham; counties across Central Illinois are drafting local rules covering construction, noise, environmental impacts and potential utility rate increases.
- Background and details: The article documents public opposition, references a related Logan County meeting on March 5, 2026 about hiring a data-center consultant, notes concerns over noise, environmental impact and utility rates, and situates the debate within broader interest in data centers driven by the AI race and existing multi-tenant facilities such as Digital Realty in Chicago.
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Equinix, CPPIB Near $4B Deal for Data Center Firm atNorth – Report
Equinix and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board are nearing a purchase of atNorth from Partners Group.
- Consortium (Equinix and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board) is finalizing a purchase that could value atNorth at about $4 billion including debt; the transaction may be announced as soon as this week, though talks remain subject to potential delays.
- atNorth operates data centers in Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Finland; Partners Group bought atNorth in 2022 for an undisclosed amount; Digital Realty Trust was previously reported as another bidder.
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No end in sight for data center development in SoCal
Commercial Observer (citing JLL research) reports that Southern California data center capacity is expected to nearly double in the next few years to meet AI-driven demand.
- Main announcement: JLL-backed reporting indicates SoCal’s existing data center capacity of 335 megawatts is expected to nearly double as new facilities come online to serve AI workloads; developers are deliberately sizing projects under regulatory thresholds (just under 50 MW or 100 MW) to avoid California Energy Commission oversight. Key concrete examples: Goodman Group is planning a 49.5-megawatt facility named LAX01 in Vernon.
- Background and regulatory details: Under California law, backup generators for data centers are treated as thermal power plants so projects >50 MW fall under the California Energy Commission for full certification; projects 50–100 MW can seek a Small Power Plant Exemption but may face environmental review and formal hearings if denied. State Sen. Steve Padilla has proposed Senate Bill 58, offering partial sales and use tax exemptions for data center projects that incorporate sustainable energy practices. The article also notes California’s average electricity cost of ~$0.18 per kWh compared with ~$0.10 per kWh in the Pacific Northwest.