Data centres / Germany
Data centre projects in Germany
Pipeline projects5431 permitted or being builtChecked 12 Oct 2026
New grid connectionsRationedReifegradverfahren, in force since 1 Apr 2026. Nationwide, transmissionChecked 12 Oct 2026
Wholesale power price90 €/MWhDay-ahead, 2025 mean, GermanyLatest hour €280, 12 Oct 2026, 17:09 UTC
Grid carbon intensity604 g CO2e/kWhLatest hour, estimate; yearly average 33012 Oct 2026, 17:09 UTC
Next national rule date1 Jan 2027Germany's EnEfG 100% renewable-electricity requirement takes effectApplies in Germany
Latency to nearest major hub3.8 msRound trip, Frankfurt to AmsterdamMapped fibre route, minimum
These are the data-centre projects of 5 MW or more in Germany that our pipeline tracker follows: 54 projects, 31 of them permitted or already being built. Projects in the Frankfurt market have their own page. The next date to watch here is 1 Jan 2027: Germany's EnEfG 100% renewable-electricity requirement takes effect, unless Drucksache 21/8027 passes first and moves it to 1 January 2030.
Largest stated project500 MWProject Jupiter hyperscale data centre, planned capacity ("up to 500 MW")
Newest milestoneOct 2026latest check 12 Oct 2026
Projects by stage
- Announced16
- In planning7
- Permitted9
- Contractor appointed2
- Under construction17
- Structure complete3
What the capacity figures measure
- IT load13
- Facility, campus or unstated basis15
- Grid connection10
- First phase only1
- No capacity published15
Each project’s capacity is quoted on its own stated basis, so the figures are never added together.
What changed
14 milestones in the last 90 days. The newest check was on 12 Oct 2026; each row below shows its own.
- Oct 2026Data centre Hofheim-Marxheim (Bebauungsplan Nr. 150 'Rechenzentrum Marxheim') data Center Group announced that site setup and the start of realisation fall on 5 October 2026, after the binding development plan took effect in December 2024. Under construction
- Sep 2026NTT Frankfurt 5 (FRA5) pile foundations for Building A were completed in August 2026 and base-slab concreting for Building A was scheduled for 11, 15, 17 and 22 September 2026. Under construction
- Sep 2026NorthC FRA01 preparatory construction works started Under construction
- Sep 2026maincubes FRA04 developer page, updated September 2026, lists FRA04 as in planning with a concluded grid connection contract Announced
- Sep 2026Gdd data centre Schladen-Werla grid operator confirmed reservation of the planned power capacity, following the municipality's unanimous resolution in April 2026 to start the development plan In planning
Projects
Frankfurt: 35 projects, 23 permitted or being built. Frankfurt market page
Berlin 4
| Project | Capacity | Stage and latest milestone | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIRTUS Wustermark CampusVIRTUS Data Centres (ST Telemedia Global Data Centres)Wustermark, Havelland, Brandenburg (about 12 km from the Berlin city limits) | 204 MWcampus capacity as stated on the developer's pageThe same developer page carries a release headline giving 300MW and EUR 3BN; a June 2026 report gives an initial capacity of 300MW and a 500MW substation with dual 380kV connection to the 50Hertz network. | Under construction Two 185MVA super grid transformers installed for the campus substation, reported one month after groundbreaking, Jun 2026 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| VIRTUS Marienpark Campus (BERLIN1 to BERLIN4)VIRTUS Data Centres (ST Telemedia Global Data Centres)Berlin, Marienpark business park (Tempelhof-Schöneberg) | 63 MWIT load across four buildings, per developer pageReports at groundbreaking (June 2025) stated four 14.4MW buildings totalling 57.6MW of IT load at full build-out. | Under construction Groundbreaking on the four-building campus in the Marienpark business park, Jun 2025 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| NTT Global Data Centers Berlin data centre (HOCHTIEF contract)NTT Global Data CentersBerlin (site not named in the contractor release) | 36 MWfacility capacity stated in the main contractor's releaseRelease describes a three storey 36 MW data centre and a four storey office building; the site is not named. | Contractor appointed HOCHTIEF awarded the construction contract, worth several hundred million euros, delivered with Turner (Dornan), Jul 2026Expected: Construction start planned summer 2026; first data halls 2028; full completion 2029 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Colt DCS Berlin 1 and 2 data centresColt Data Centre ServicesBerlin area, 10 km east of Berlin (9.5-acre site) | 54 MWcombined IT power of the two data centresPower contract secured (developer); no split between the two buildings | Announced Land and power supply contracts secured; first phase of development starting, Apr 2025Expected: First phase ready for service by the end of 2028 (developer) | 11 Oct 2026 |
Munich 1
| Project | Capacity | Stage and latest milestone | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portus Munich 2 (MUC2) data centrePortus Data CentersKirchheim near Munich (Bavaria) | 6 MWnew IT capacity (MUC2 page: critical IT load)Site total rises to 7 MW after the expansion (developer) | Under construction Financing package closed to fund development of the Munich 2 facility under construction; groundbreaking was in September 2025 (developer), May 2026Expected: Service commencement expected in Q1 2027 (developer) | 11 Oct 2026 |
Elsewhere in Germany 14
| Project | Capacity | Stage and latest milestone | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schwarz Digits Datacenter Lübbenau (STACKIT)Schwarz Digits (Schwarz Group); operated by STACKITLübbenau/Spreewald, Oberspreewald-Lausitz, Brandenburg (former power plant site) | 200 MWinitial connection capacity (Anschlussleistung), stated as about 200 MWSource says "rund 200 Megawatt" initially, expandable in two construction phases; EUR 11 billion total investment. | Under construction Symbolic groundbreaking held with the Federal Digital Minister, Nov 2025Expected: First construction phase of three modules to be completed by end of 2027 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| maincubes BER02 campus (mainHub Berlin)maincubesNauen, Havelland, Brandenburg | 200 MWgrid connection agreement with E.DISRelease states the campus will offer up to 200 MW, able to grow to over 400 MW; developer site lists BER02 at 144 to 186 MW depending on design. | Under construction Zoning plan legally binding (2 July 2025) and 200 MW grid connection agreement signed; developer now lists BER02 under construction, Aug 2025Expected: Ready for service Q1/2028 per developer description (summary box shows Q3/2028) | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Microsoft data centre Bergheim (Rhenish mining area cluster)MicrosoftBergheim, Rhein-Erft-Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia | Not disclosedZukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier cites an investment of EUR 3.2 billion for the planned data centres in Bergheim, Bedburg and Elsdorf; no MW published per site. | Under construction Groundbreaking for the first data centre of the regional cluster after the building permit was granted, Mar 2026 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Microsoft data centre Bedburg (Rhenish mining area cluster)MicrosoftBedburg, Rhein-Erft-Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia | Not disclosedPart of the EUR 3.2 billion Rhenish mining area programme; no MW published for this site. | Permitted Building permit officially granted; the mayor said construction will begin shortly, Mar 2026 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Gdd data centre Schladen-WerlaGdd Green Datacenter DevelopmentSchladen-Werla, Landkreis Wolfenbüttel, Lower Saxony | 200 MWgrid connection capacity (Anschlussleistung), stated as about 200 MW | In planning Grid operator confirmed reservation of the planned power capacity, following the municipality's unanimous resolution in April 2026 to start the development plan, Sep 2026Expected: First expansion stages from 2030, at the latest 2031 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Gießen Katzenfeld data centreCity of Gießen (operator not yet named)Katzenfeld, northern Weststadt, Gießen (Hesse), about 16.75 ha | 65 MWplanned connection capacity (up to)First data centre in Mittelhessen; waste heat planned for the district heating network | In planning City parliament voted 38 to 11 (8 abstentions) to build the data centre, Aug 2026Expected: Earthworks planned from the end of 2026; construction start not scheduled (city) | 11 Oct 2026 |
| Microsoft data centre Elsdorf (Rhenish mining area cluster)MicrosoftElsdorf, Rhein-Erft-Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia | Not disclosed | In planning Named by Microsoft as a cluster site; reported in July 2026 as still awaiting approval while Bergheim and Bedburg hold permits, Jul 2026 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Project Jupiter hyperscale data centreWBS Power and Prime Capital (joint venture)Former military airfield in Brandenburg; one report places Project Jupiter in Finsterwalde, Elbe-Elster | 500 MWplanned capacity ("up to 500 MW")Co-located with a 500 MW / 2,000 MWh battery and up to 150 MWp solar sharing one 50Hertz 380 kV connection. The release gives a construction start of late 2026 or early 2027 for the battery and solar project, not for the data centre. | Announced Joint venture formed to develop a hyperscale data centre on the Project Jupiter site; sale to Prime Capital subject to ready-to-build status, Dec 2025 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Telis Energie data centre campus MehrumTelis Energie DeutschlandNorth of Mehrum (Gemeinde Hohenhameln, Landkreis Peine), Lower Saxony | 500 MWcampus capacity as reported ("500MW data center campus")Six buildings on about 380,000 sqm; investment of at least EUR 1 billion. | Announced Plans presented; project in initial planning stages with municipal approval not yet received, Apr 2026Expected: Construction to begin in 2028 and last up to two years | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Blue Future technology area data centreFAB (land developer, Leipzig)Eisenach, Thuringia (about 86 hectares between Stockhausen and Hötzelsroda) | 300 MWgrid capacity the project would take from the expanded local substation, per city FAQCity project page states the data centre could need up to 300 MVA. | Announced Public info market held; formal land-use planning procedure not yet started, awaiting council resolution, Feb 2026 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Advisum AI data centre at former Isar nuclear plant siteAdvisumNiederaichbach, Landkreis Landshut, Bavaria (former Isar II nuclear power plant site) | 100 MWdata centre capacity as reported; separate 900 MW battery storage planned on the same site | Announced Plans published for a 100 MW data centre and 900 MW battery storage on about five hectares, Sep 2026 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Polarise AI data centre AmbergPolariseAmberg, Bavaria | 30 MWfirst phaseCompany said the site could eventually expand to 120 MW. | Announced Plan announced for a 30 MW AI data centre in Amberg, Mar 2026Expected: Online in mid-2027 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| Microsoft data centre GrevenbroichMicrosoftGrevenbroich, Rhein-Kreis Neuss, North Rhine-Westphalia | Not disclosedInvestment not disclosed; industry estimates range up to about EUR 1 billion. | Announced Purchase agreement for the site signed, with final validity subject to the pending building permit, Jul 2026Expected: Could connect to the grid in the early 2030s if on schedule | 10 Oct 2026 |
| QTS hyperscale data centre LippetalQTS (Blackstone)Lippetal, Kreis Soest, North Rhine-Westphalia (near Hamm) | Not disclosedInvestment of about EUR 4 billion reported from financial circles; no MW stated. | Announced Conditional purchase agreement signed for an industrial plot of over 27 hectares; planning procedure to start, Jan 2026Expected: Completion expected in the early 2030s | 10 Oct 2026 |
Formal refusals and bans since 2025
Verified decisions only. Absence is not evidence of low planning risk.
Decisions on single sites
- 3 Feb 2026Groß-Gerau, near Frankfurt Town council voted not to negotiate the development contractsStanding
Decisions from 1 Jan 2025; statuses checked 11 Oct 2026.
Power and grid in Germany
The latest hour, DE-LU bidding zone
Grid carbon intensity (estimate)604 g CO2e/kWhsame hour yesterday 403
Day-ahead price280 €/MWhwholesale, not what a site pays
Renewable share of generation24 %
Best four hours for flexible load11:00Tue 13 Oct to 15:00, local time
Updated 12 Oct 2026, 17:09 UTC; refreshed every 10 minutes. Germany grid hour by hour, next 48 hours
Over a year, country level
Grid carbon, latest full-year average330 g CO2/kWh26th cleanest of 30 countries; 59% renewable or nuclear
Business electricity price, latest full year216 €/MWh23rd cheapest of 26; wholesale is 46% of it
Wholesale power, 2025 average90 €/MWh13th cheapest of 30
Annual country averages, as used by the siting cost ranking. Production-based average carbon, not marginal.
Climate at Frankfurt
Hours a year above 27 °C dry-bulb282 hmean of 2016 to 2025
Hours a year above 32 °C dry-bulb51 hworst year 95 h
Hours a year above 20 °C wet-bulb100 hlimit for evaporative cooling
Hourly climate reanalysis at the city’s grid cell, from the market comparison; a site’s own conditions differ.
Fibre latency from Frankfurt
| To | Round trip, minimum | Path length | Path |
|---|---|---|---|
| Munich | 3.3 ms | 341 km | Mapped fibre route |
| Zurich | 3.4 ms | 349 km | Mapped fibre route |
| Brussels | 3.5 ms | 357 km | Mapped fibre route |
| Amsterdam | 3.8 ms | 392 km | Mapped fibre route |
| Paris | 5.9 ms | 599 km | Mapped fibre route |
| London | 6.2 ms | 638 km | Straight line (no mapped land route) |
| Dublin | 11 ms | 1,088 km | Straight line (no mapped land route) |
Light in single-mode fibre between city centres, over the mapped land fibre route where one exists, otherwise the straight line. Operator routes, equipment and the last kilometres add to these floors. Any pair in the latency calculator
Rules and dates
| Where | Rule | Status |
|---|---|---|
| EU | Reporting duty from 500 kW installed IT power, 7 items and 24 indicators, next report 15 May 2027 | In force |
| EU | Waste-heat use above 1 MW total rated energy input, unless a cost-benefit assessment shows it is not feasible | In force |
| EU | Common rating scheme adopted 21 Sep 2026; in Parliament and Council scrutiny, extended 6 Oct | Adopted, not in force |
| Germany | Applies from 300 kW non-redundant nominal connected load; PUE 1.5 or lower from 1 Jul 2027 and 1.3 from 1 Jul 2030 for sites running before 1 Jul 2026; 100% renewable electricity from 1 Jan 2027 | In force |
| Germany | Bill to relax the PUE limits to 1.6 and 1.4; committee hearing held 5 Oct 2026 | Proposed |
Next dates
- 14 Dec 2026the EU Commission's minimum performance standards consultation and call for evidence closes
- 1 Jan 2027Germany's EnEfG 100% renewable-electricity requirement takes effect, unless Drucksache 21/8027 passes first and moves it to 1 January 2030
- 31 Mar 2027Germany's register report due every year
- 15 May 2027EU database and French reports due every year
- 1 Jul 2027Germany's EnEfG PUE ≤1.5 deadline for sites that started operating before 1 July 2026, unless Drucksache 21/8027 passes first
- 1 Jul 2030Germany's EnEfG PUE ≤1.3 deadline for the same pre-mid-2026 sites, or 1.4 if the relaxing bill passes
From the European data-centre regulation tracker and the market comparison.
Method
The pipeline covers data-centre projects of 5 MW or more, or with no capacity published, that are announced, in planning, permitted or under construction and not yet fully operating. It is not a list of operating facilities. A metro market follows the tracker’s own market field, so it includes the region around the city; a country page covers every tracked project in the country.
- Projects: each row is the latest public milestone we found for the project, with the date it was last checked; the pipeline tracker holds every project.
- Latest hour: carbon intensity estimated from the hourly generation mix, with the day-ahead price, refreshed every 10 minutes on the live grid page.
- Over a year: national averages for the latest full year, the same figures the siting cost ranking uses.
- Climate: hourly reanalysis at the city’s grid cell, 2016 to 2025.
- Latency: light in fibre between city centres over the mapped land route, otherwise the straight line.
Cite as: ScienceShot, “Data centre projects in Germany”, https://scienceshot.com/data-centres/germany/ (checked 12 Oct 2026). © ScienceShot. You may quote individual facts with a link to this page.
ScienceShot dataset, checked 12 Oct 2026. How we build it: Method and standards.