Greece's public power company, DEI, is planning to build one of Europe's largest data centers on the former lignite fiel...

Greece's public power company, DEI, is planning to build one of Europe's largest data centers on the former lignite fields outside Kozani, a mid-sized city in Western Macedonia that spent decades powering the country through coal. The project sits at the center of a broader investment plan worth roughly 5.75 billion euros, aimed at converting the region's old industrial land into a green energy and technology hub, according to Bloomberg. The data center's first phase targets 300 MW of capacity, with a potential expansion to 1 GW if major hyperscalers commit to the project. DEI has budgeted around 1.2 billion euros in capital expenditure for that first phase alone. The facility is listed as a standalone pillar in the company's strategic plan through 2030. The wider Western Macedonia investment package includes approximately 2,130 MW of renewable energy capacity and 860 MW of storage, meant to power the digital infrastructure going up on the same land that once housed coal mines and power stations. DEI estimates the full project portfolio could generate up to 20,000 construction jobs and around 2,000 permanent operational positions. The region already has large tracts of former industrial land, existing energy grid connections, telecoms infrastructure, and a workforce experienced in large-scale energy projects. Those are exactly the conditions that AI-era data centers need, and Europe is running short on them. DEI is also working with the University of Western Macedonia to build training programs tied to the new energy and digital infrastructure. A green data center connected to the university's research needs is already in development, and a new supercomputer with applications in energy, the environment, and agri-food is being planned for the same location. DEI's total investment program for 2026 to 2030 stands at around 24.2 billion euros, with most of it directed toward growth projects. The company expects its installed capacity to reach 24.3 GW by 2030. #Greece #Energy #Technology