Colt Data Centre Services (Colt DCS), a leading global provider of hyperscale data center infrastructure, has unveiled plans to construct four new colocation data centers in Germany. This significant investment of €2 billion will boost the company’s total data center capacity in the country to 176 megawatts (MW).
The upcoming facilities, named Berlin 1, Berlin 2, Frankfurt 4, and Frankfurt 5, will be strategically located in these key German cities. The Berlin sites will cover 9.5 acres and offer a combined IT capacity of 54MW, while the Frankfurt locations, crucial hubs in Europe’s data center ecosystem, will span 18 acres and provide an additional 63MW of capacity. This expansion will see Colt DCS increase its presence in Germany by 117MW.
Germany’s digital transformation, fueled by the growing demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence services, continues to drive infrastructure investments. Frankfurt has traditionally been a central hub for data center operators, while Berlin is emerging as a prominent secondary market. Colt DCS’s expansion underscores its commitment to serving both markets with scalable and sustainable infrastructure tailored for modern workloads.
The new colocation facilities will be constructed using Colt DCS’s Global Reference Design (GRD), a modular architecture that supports a wide range of applications, including traditional cloud services and high-performance computing environments. The GRD allows for various cooling solutions, such as direct liquid-to-chip, hybrid, and standard air cooling systems, catering to hyperscalers and enterprise clients deploying compute-intensive workloads.
Sustainability is a core focus of the project, with Colt DCS aiming to minimize the environmental impact of its new builds. The company will implement low embodied carbon principles throughout the construction process, utilizing low-global-warming-potential cooling chillers, reducing water-based cooling systems, and limiting the use of steel and concrete where possible. Waste heat generated by the data centers will be captured and repurposed for local district heating systems, contributing to regional energy efficiency targets.
Moreover, Colt DCS plans to incorporate rooftop photovoltaic solar panels and green roofing solutions, while allocating 20% of each site for green space development. These sustainability measures align with Colt DCS’s environmental objectives and Germany’s broader efforts towards climate-resilient digital infrastructure.
Renewable power contracts have already been secured for the new sites, with the first phase of operations – Frankfurt 4 and Berlin 1 – expected to commence by the end of 2028. Local government officials have welcomed the development, with Gert-Uwe Mende, the Lord Mayor of Wiesbaden, expressing excitement about Colt DCS’s decision to establish a data center in the state capital of Hessen.
CEO Niclas Sanfridsson highlighted the strategic significance of the expansion, emphasizing Colt DCS’s dedication to supporting Germany’s digital growth. The new facilities will enhance the company’s ability to cater to global cloud and AI workloads while reinforcing its commitment to sustainable growth and innovative data center design. Investments like these are poised to play a crucial role in Europe’s long-term infrastructure resilience as digital services evolve and become more data-intensive.
