Powering Europe’s Expanding Digital Economy 

As Europe's digital economy continues to grow, increasing attention is being placed on the energy infrastructure required to support it. Whilst data centres often dominate headlines, the power systems that enable these facilities to operate reliably are becoming equally important, creating new opportunities for contractors operating at the intersection of energy, infrastructure and technology. 

One project demonstrating this trend is the Grange Backup Power facility in west Dublin, where contractor Collen is nearing completion of a 110MW installation designed to support critical power requirements associated with Ireland's expanding digital economy. The development incorporates 6  MAN dual-fuel engines alongside infrastructure designed to facilitate future hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) integration, supporting both operational resilience and longer-term sustainability objectives. 

Earlier this year, Collen confirmed that the project had entered its final stages ahead of operational handover and was subsequently shortlisted for the 2026 Irish Construction Excellence Awards. Whilst facilities of this nature rarely attract the same public attention as data centres themselves, they are becoming increasingly important as governments, operators and businesses seek to strengthen energy security whilst supporting continued digital growth. 

The Grange project reflects a much wider shift taking place across Europe. Research from Arizton forecasts that the European data centre construction market will exceed $35bn by 2030, driven by rising demand for cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital storage. As digital infrastructure expands, so too does the requirement for resilient power generation, backup energy systems and supporting infrastructure capable of maintaining uninterrupted operations. 

Against this backdrop, Collen has established itself as a major delivery partner within the digital infrastructure sector. Founded in 1810, the Dublin-headquartered contractor has evolved from a traditional construction business into a specialist provider of highly technical infrastructure projects across Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. The company states that it has delivered more than 600MW of data centre capacity since 2010, positioning it within one of the fastest-growing areas of the European construction market. 

The scale of that growth was reflected in the company's latest financial results. For the year ending March 2025, Collen reported revenues of €1.18bn, representing a 79% increase compared with the previous year. The business also confirmed that the majority of its turnover now originates from projects delivered across Europe, highlighting the increasing internationalisation of both the company and the sectors it serves. 

Commenting on the results, Leslie FitzPatrick, Chief Financial Officer at Collen, said: "Our 2025 performance reflects the breadth of our portfolio and the work delivered by our committed teams across all of the regions in which we operate." 

FitzPatrick added: "Revenue and profit growth were achieved alongside continued investment in the business, our people and a focus on financial discipline. We expect demand in the data and technology sectors to remain strong, with additional opportunities emerging in critical infrastructure, energy, residential and healthcare. Our order book provides a solid platform for the year ahead." 

Recent project announcements illustrate the company's continued focus on digital infrastructure. In April 2025, Collen confirmed the commencement of a major data centre development in London, further strengthening its position within the UK market. The scheme followed a series of technology-focused developments across Ireland and mainland Europe, including projects in Dublin, Frankfurt and Sweden. 

The growing relationship between energy resilience and digital infrastructure is increasingly influencing project design across the sector. Data centres require highly reliable power supplies, placing greater emphasis on backup generation, fuel flexibility and future-proofed energy systems. The inclusion of HVO-ready infrastructure at Grange reflects a broader industry effort to reduce operational emissions whilst maintaining the levels of reliability required by mission-critical facilities. 

Alongside its work within the digital and energy sectors, Collen continues to deliver major infrastructure and regeneration projects. One of the most significant is the Kildare Innovation Campus infrastructure project, located between Celbridge and Leixlip. The wider masterplan has been associated with investment exceeding €2bn and aims to establish a major hub for technology, innovation and advanced industry. Collen's package includes roads, drainage infrastructure, fibre ducting, utilities, cycle routes and pedestrian connections designed to support future phases of development across the 72-hectare site. 

The contractor is also continuing to invest in lower-carbon construction methodologies and digital delivery techniques. Across its operations, the company highlights the use of off-site manufacturing, modularisation, reality capture technologies and 4D planning systems to improve efficiency and reduce waste. Most recently, sustainability initiatives have included the deployment of an electric crawler crane capable of significantly reducing emissions during construction activities. 

As demand for data processing, artificial intelligence and cloud services continues to accelerate, investment in the supporting energy infrastructure is expected to follow. Projects such as Grange demonstrate how the future of digital growth is becoming increasingly dependent on resilient, adaptable and lower-carbon energy systems. For contractors operating in this space, the opportunity extends far beyond the construction of data centres themselves, encompassing the wider infrastructure required to power Europe's next generation of digital development.