MILAN (Reuters) -Italian energy group Eni and Dubai-based Khazna have signed a preliminary agreement to jointly develop a 500-megawatt (MW) data centre campus in northern Italy, the two companies said on Friday.
The campus, to be located near Milan, is part of a broader partnership between the Italy and the United Arab Emirates aimed at boosting digital infrastructure, with plans to install up to 1 gigawatt of IT capacity across Italy.
The facility will be driven by so-called “blue power”, meaning electricity from an Eni gas plant equipped with carbon capture technology to reduce CO2 emissions, the Italian energy group said.
Investments in Italy’s data centres will double to 10 billion euros ($11.7 billion) in the 2025-2026 period compared with the previous two years as technology heavyweights roll out spending plans, researchers at Milan’s Polytechnic University estimated in January.
($1 = 0.8556 euros)
(Reporting by Francesca Landini, editing by Alvise Armellini)
