HDI highlights four priorities for European data centre resilience

European data centre operators must take a more location-specific and forward-looking approach to natural catastrophe and climate risks as conventional site selection and construction standards become increasingly inadequate, according to HDI Global.

The insurer identified four priorities for strengthening resilience: detailed assessment of individual sites, access to critical resources, climate-adapted construction and greater operational preparedness.

Johanna Rohrer, risk analyst for natural hazards and climate risks at HDI Risk Consulting, and Gareth Hopkins, risk engineer at HDI Risk Consulting, said exposure and potential downtime could vary significantly between apparently similar locations.

London illustrates the increasingly complex risk profile facing major European data centre hubs.

HDI’s so-called ARGOS 4.0 platform identifies pluvial flooding, emerging heat stress and increasing water scarcity among the principal hazards facing the capital.

Projections suggest maximum five-day precipitation could exceed 60mm between 2081 and 2100, while extreme heat and water stress are also expected to intensify.

HDI said the pattern was being repeated across Europe, where rising demand for data centre capacity was coinciding with increasingly complex natural hazard and climate exposures.

Site-level assessments should consider factors including flood zones, drainage capacity and the positioning of critical equipment.

In Amsterdam, for example, coastal and pluvial flooding could disrupt operations, making elevation and effective drainage design particularly important in vulnerable areas.

Once hazards have been identified, operators should assess the vulnerability of server rooms, power generation and distribution infrastructure, cooling systems and other critical assets.

HDI said resilience measures and protection targets should also be reviewed regularly to reflect changing conditions and updated climate projections.

Electricity and water availability represent a second emerging area of concern.

More frequent periods of extreme heat and prolonged dry weather could increase cooling requirements, raise energy consumption and place additional strain on power networks.

Reduced cooling efficiency or system failures could lower operational capacity, cause equipment to overheat and, in severe cases, lead to service outages.

Extreme heat, flooding and severe storms could also damage electricity infrastructure or cause short interruptions and prolonged blackouts.

The two authors said operators should therefore assess cooling performance, grid resilience, backup power arrangements and demand management as part of their long-term planning.

Construction standards are another important factor, with many European data centres still designed in a similar way to conventional commercial buildings.

Potential vulnerabilities include large internal compartments, extensive flat roof areas, internal downpipes and valley gutters that may be unable to cope with extreme rainfall.

External equipment and building floor levels may also depend heavily on surface drainage systems, leaving sites exposed to flash flooding and water ingress.

HDI recommended emergency roof overflows that divert water away from buildings, elevated floor levels and critical equipment, effective floor drainage and greater compartmentalisation of important areas.

However, it said the most appropriate measures would depend on the characteristics of each site.

Physical protection alone could not eliminate the risk of disruption, making operational resilience the fourth priority.

Early warning systems, defined emergency response procedures and plans for maintaining access during floods or wildfires could limit the duration and severity of outages.

Redundancy across critical infrastructure and supply chains, supported by resilient IT and network architecture, could also reduce business interruption losses.

HDI added that current and future natural hazard exposure should be assessed before construction, with risk mitigation, emergency planning and supply chain resilience reviewed throughout a data centre’s operational life.