Data centres queue for massive power demand in Denmark, reaching gigawatt scale

Danish data centres currently awaiting grid connection could consume over 15 gigawatts of electricity—30 times the current usage—according to state-owned energy operator Energinet, reports DR.

The surge in demand comes as hyperscale data centres, including a proposed 350-megawatt facility in Holbæk Municipality, seek approval. That single project would require six times the municipality’s entire current power consumption, yet it represents only a fraction of the planned expansions nationwide.

Søren Dupont Hansen, operations director at Energinet, confirmed the total queue now stands at “more than 15 gigawatts,” calling the figures “extremely dramatic.” Current data centre consumption across Denmark’s roughly 50 facilities pales in comparison, he noted.

Industry director Henrik Hansen of Datacenter Industrien cautioned that not all projects will materialise, estimating only about 10% of proposals by 2030 will become operational. “There’s neither the need nor the power for everything in the queue,” he said, urging focus on viable projects rather than “a fantasy backlog.”

Experts emphasised the need for stricter criteria, including energy efficiency, grid flexibility, and waste heat utilisation. Claus Ekman of energy-saving group Synergi argued data centres “must be team players, not opponents” in Denmark’s transition to 55% renewable energy by 2030.

Energinet, however, lacks authority to prioritise connections under anti-discrimination rules. “This requires broader societal debate and political decisions,” Dupont Hansen said. Marie Münster of the Danish Climate Council agreed, advocating climate considerations in grid access allocations.

Data centres underpin digital services—from streaming to AI—but their rapid expansion risks straining both power supplies and renewable targets, observers warned.