Thursday, June 18Thursday, June 18Vattenfall and Dutch start-up Project Enki have launched a joint feasibility study to develop offshore data centres powered directly by wind farms, marking a bold step toward sustainable digital infrastructure. The initiative, announced on 18 June 2026, aims to harness excess energy from offshore wind installations to run high-performance computing facilities in the North Sea, reducing both carbon emissions and grid dependency.
Project Enki, an Amsterdam-based start-up, will collaborate with Vattenfall, the Swedish energy giant, to assess technical and economic viability. The proposed data centres would be co-located with existing or planned wind farms, leveraging surplus electricity that is otherwise curtailed due to transmission constraints. According to the joint statement, the pilot could begin as early as 2027 if regulatory and engineering hurdles are cleared.
The move reflects a growing trend in Europe to integrate energy-intensive industries with renewable power sources. Offshore wind farms in the North Sea already produce more than 160 TWh annually, yet curtailment rates remain high due to grid bottlenecks. By siting data centres adjacent to turbines, operators could utilise stranded energy, improve grid stability, and lower operational costs for cloud providers.
Industry analysts see this as a strategic pivot for Vattenfall, which has long positioned itself as a leader in offshore wind. “This is not just about data centres—it’s about reimagining how energy systems and digital infrastructure can coexist,” said a company spokesperson. Project Enki, founded in 2024, has raised €12 million to date and specialises in modular, water-cooled data pods designed for harsh marine environments.
The initiative arrives amid heightened scrutiny of data centre energy use, which now accounts for about 1–1.5% of global electricity demand. The European Commission is finalising stricter sustainability rules for data centres, set to take effect in 2027. Offshore solutions could help operators meet these requirements while tapping into Europe’s expanding wind capacity, which is projected to reach 300 GW by 2030.
While challenges remain—including marine permitting, cable infrastructure, and cybersecurity risks in exposed locations—the partners insist the concept is technically feasible. A small-scale prototype is expected to be tested off the Dutch coast by late 2026, with commercial deployment targeted for 2028. If successful, the model could be replicated across the North Sea, where over 20 GW of new offshore wind capacity is slated for installation by 2030 .
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