UK renewable energy developer Downing Renewable Developments (DRD) has expanded into the data center market.

The company said that it had established an initial data center development pipeline of more than 500MW of advanced projects, as well as a pipeline of early-stage projects. The advanced projects are located in central Sweden and southern Finland, and the company claims it has already secured land and grid connections, with connections expected before 2030.

DRD said permitting for the first sites is expected to begin soon, with the first projects expected to reach powered land status by Q4 2027. Powered land status means the land and required power capacity have been secured for a future data center development. Further details on the projects have not yet been disclosed.

DRD told DCD that all sites will be grid-connected, but it also intends to supply some sites through direct, private-wire renewable energy generation.

“We already have an advanced pipeline of more than 500MW and are progressing our first projects in Sweden and Finland. We see considerable potential to grow this area of the business and look forward to working with data center operators and other partners looking to develop well-located sites with credible long-term energy solutions,” said Tony Gannon, head of Downing Renewable Developments.

“This initiative is a natural evolution of our business and one we have been working on for some time. We believe that we are uniquely placed to provide firmed supply from portfolios of renewable energy generation assets to the data centers we are developing, providing long-term security and resilience and lessening the impact of these demand customers on the grid and the environment," added Tom Williams, head of energy and infrastructure at Downing.

Based in London, UK, DRD is a developer of solar, battery, and onshore wind projects. The company has a total development pipeline of 9.4GW across the UK and Nordic markets. It is unclear whether the company will utilize the renewable assets to power its planned data centers.

In addition to its London headquarters, the company also has regional offices in Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden.