Over the last four years, the total capacity of hyperscaler data centers has doubled. Researchers expect similar growth over the next four years.

Hyperscalers’ data center capacity has doubled in the last four years. This is what the Synergy Research Group calculated. The researchers first look at the number of large data centers operated by hyperscalers. At the beginning of 2024, this number will exceed the thousand mark. The capacity of the data centers also plays a role in Synergy’s analysis.

120 to 130 new large hyperscale sites come online every year, and that number alone isn’t enough to double again in the next four years, although Synergy expects it to. The computing and storage capacity per new data center is also increasing. According to the researchers, AI is a key driver of this shift towards greater density.

USA champions

The US is the data center champion. 51 percent of the total hyperscaler capacity, measured in megawatts, is located there. With seventeen percent, Europe is in distant second place, followed by China with 16 percent.

The enormous growth in data center capacity brings challenges. Data centers consume a lot of energy to meet customer needs. That’s why efficiency is very important. The EU is taking a pioneering role here and stipulating strict efficiency standards for European data centers. As the global data center market grows, controlling power consumption becomes more important.