Poland and the Baltics vie for Europe's expanding data-center market

Europe's data-center boom is spilling beyond the traditional FLAP-D hubs of Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin, with about two-thirds of the 685 MW added in Q2 built in secondary markets. Poland, now the CEE anchor, topped 200 MW of commercial capacity in 2024 and aims to reach 600 MW by 2030, supported by projects in Warsaw and other Polish cities and a planned 3.2 GW campus in Choczewo. The Baltic states are also expanding, highlighted by Estonia's 31.5 MW Greenergy campus and a proposed 180 MW wind-powered centre in Risti, while Latvia's Tet opened a 1 MW site in Salaspils.

Cheaper industrial electricity—€0.20-0.21 per kWh in Poland and Czechia versus €0.23-0.24 in Germany and the Netherlands—makes the region attractive, though grid capacity and reliance on coal remain concerns. The EU is tightening reporting on energy use, and security risks persist as Russia targets digital infrastructure in Ukraine.