The Current - Aggreko Podcast

Breaking the gridlock: How data centres are taking power and cooling into their own hands

In this episode of The Current, Aggreko dives into the rapidly accelerating evolution of Europe’s data centre landscape, a market expanding faster than the grid can keep up. Host Tom Went speaks with Keith Breed, Associate Director and Senior Research Analyst at CBRE, and Billy Dury, Global Sector Head for Data Centres at Aggreko, to unpack the forces driving unprecedented growth across Europe, the Middle East, and emerging regions. From hyper-scaler expansion to the explosive rise of AI workloads, the conversation explores why demand for capacity, power, and cooling is surging far beyond traditional planning models. However, with growth comes friction. Ageing infrastructure, limited grid availability, permitting delays, and rising sustainability pressures are reshaping how developers design, build, and power their facilities. Keith provides deep market insight into shifting development hotspots - including the Nordics, Spain, Italy, and the Middle East - while Billy shares on‑the‑ground realities: power constraints, temporary and bridging solutions, new cooling technologies, and why flexibility has become the industry’s new watchword. Together, they paint a picture of an industry innovating at breakneck speed to stay ahead of demand. This is a must‑listen for anyone working in data centres, energy strategy, infrastructure, or digital transformation. Expect sharp analysis, real‑world examples, a look into how operators are adapting across the full lifecycle of a site, and a candid discussion about whether the AI boom is sustainable.

Intelligent demand: the future of flexible energy?

Is a more consumer-led approach to energy the best answer for industrial businesses that are managing competing demands, such as cost, security and sustainability?  This is an issue Caroline Bragg is keen to speak more on. As CEO of the Association for Decentralised Energy, she seeks a reimagined energy market in which businesses can choose when they generate and consume electricity.  If realised at scale, this flexibility will deliver major advantages for both generation and demand: lower energy bills, reduced emissions, site stability and a more resilient grid network capable of integrating more renewables.  With policy, technology and the market now aligning, the shift away from a wholly centralised energy system is beginning to gather pace. But for industrial sites flexibility remains a challenge – not least because of the costs associated with this transition.  So, what’s needed to push this agenda forward? And how can businesses reap the rewards of on-site generation in the meantime?   For this episode, Caroline is joined by James Blunt, Head of Carbon at Aggreko. As part of a team delivering energy projects across Europe, James offers more of an ‘on-the-ground’ look at the flexibility challenge for today’s high energy users.   Over the course of the next 30 minutes, James and Caroline offer a much-needed joined-up look at what’s really needed for businesses to become truly ‘grid-interactive’.

Putting the F1 Energy Transition in Pole Position

In this first episode of the series, we’re speaking to Ellen Jones Head of ESG at Formula 1® about their journey to achieve net zero. It’s an ambitious goal and Ellen is embracing the opportunity. Ellen has made it clear there is no ‘silver bullet’ for decarbonising the sport, despite being home to some of the most impressive feats of engineering, design and manufacturing. As such, she believes the sport’s international footprint and reputation for innovation puts it in a stronger position to help lead the way for other organisations. Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO at Formula 1, also shares this vision. In late 2024, he told the BBC the sport must “embrace technical opportunities” if it’s to make real progress. These opportunities not only involve the racing itself, but all the other activities taking place before, during and after the checkered flag is waved. This is where strategic partnerships with companies like Aggreko are making the difference. With the company named as Official Temporary Power Solutions Provider, the sport is poised to take its next leap forward. As we’ll see over the course of this episode, the trials have already delivered significant improvements. And now the company will work closely with the F1® team across Europe to deliver greener, cleaner power to the Paddock, Pit lane and broadcast areas. This is all being done to increase site efficiency in pursuit of net zero carbon emissions by 2030 – a formidable challenge for such a logistically complex event but one where Aggreko’s Greener Upgrades™ technologies are making a real impact. In this special episode of The Current, Ellen is joined by Dawn Demellweek, Aggreko’s Director of Sustainability and Compliance. Over the next 40 minutes, we’ll get the inside track on this landmark initiative, the technical challenges of delivering an energy transition at an international scale, as well as the similarities and differences Formula 1® shares with organisations in different industries.

Coming Soon: The Current

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