In a significant stride towards bolstering Europe’s digital backbone, Italian energy titan Eni and Dubai’s data infrastructure powerhouse Khazna have inked a preliminary agreement to construct a colossal 500-megawatt (MW) data center campus in northern Italy, just outside Milan. This ambitious project, announced on Friday, is a cornerstone of a wider strategic alliance between Italy and the United Arab Emirates, designed to dramatically enhance digital infrastructure across the peninsula, with an eye on deploying up to 1 gigawatt of IT capacity nationwide.
What sets this venture apart is its commitment to sustainability. The facility will be powered by “blue power” – electricity generated from an Eni gas plant equipped with cutting-edge carbon capture technology, a testament to both companies’ efforts to significantly curb CO2 emissions.
This influx of digital investment comes at a pivotal time for Italy. Researchers at Milan’s Polytechnic University, in a January report, estimate that investments in the nation’s data centers are poised to double to a staggering 10 billion euros ($11.7 billion) in the 2025-2026 period, dwarfing the figures from the preceding two years. This surge reflects the escalating spending plans of global technology behemoths, eager to capitalize on Italy’s burgeoning digital landscape.
The Milan campus, a symbol of international collaboration and technological foresight, is set to become a vital hub in Europe’s ever-expanding digital network, promising not only enhanced connectivity but also a greener, more sustainable future for data infrastructure.
