AI is driving an unprecedented surge in demand for data processing capacity, and to keep pace, companies are expanding their data center infrastructures. One notable example is Schneider Electric, which has significantly scaled its prefabricated data center factory in Barcelona, its largest facility in Europe.
The factory’s footprint has grown from 75,000 to 130,000 square feet, a move designed to meet the rising need for high-compute workload data centers. This expansion doubles Schneider’s production, integration, testing, and output capabilities for its modular data centers and prefabricated power modules. These facilities are critical for supporting the ever-increasing demands of AI workloads across industries.
Why Prefabricated Data Centers Matter
Schneider Electric’s modular data centers, developed under their ExoStruxure platform, are known for their scalability and efficiency. Prefabrication allows for faster deployment, reduced environmental impact, and optimized production processes. As AI applications continue to grow in complexity, these data centers offer a rapid and sustainable solution to handle high-performance computing needs. According to PWC Global, the economic contribution of AI could reach as much as $15.7 trillion by 2030 – and data centers will be the backbone of this growth.
Scaling to Meet Global Demand
Schneider’s factory in Barcelona has become a crucial hub in Europe, designing and testing data centers that are ready to handle AI-driven workloads. The company is not just expanding its physical space but also enhancing its end-to-end production capabilities. This ensures that European customers have access to high-quality, rapidly deployable data center solutions, which can be operational in as little as 24 weeks.
Moreover, this expansion aligns with the growing demand for prefabricated and modular data centers, a market expected to reach $8.6 billion by 2027, according to a study by Omdia. These systems are not only cost-effective but also eco-friendly, helping to reduce the embedded carbon footprint in data infrastructure. This is particularly important as the industry seeks to balance the significant power consumption required for AI with sustainability goals.
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Strengthening Supply Chain Partnerships
In addition to expanding its factory, Schneider Electric recently announced a $3 billion multi-year partnership with Compass Datacenters. This collaboration aims to enhance the supply chain and production of prefabricated modular data centers, making it easier to deploy these systems on a large scale. The partnership reflects a growing trend in the industry where companies are working together to meet the increasing demands of AI.
“Prefabricated modular data centers are one of the most efficient and sustainable ways to design and deploy high-performance data center capacity at speed and scale,” said Marc Garner, Senior Vice President of Schneider’s secure power and data center business. “By scaling up our production capacity, we’re ensuring that customers in Europe have access to fast, predictable, and high-quality data center solutions.”
The expansion in Barcelona is just one example of how data centers are evolving to meet the needs of AI, an industry that shows no signs of slowing down. As AI continues to push the boundaries of technology, the infrastructure supporting it must grow and adapt, and modular data centers are leading the way in this transformation.
