How Skanska Plans to Bolster its US Data Centre Presence

The new data centre sites announced by Skanska are designed to bolster its construction offerings, in addition to catering to growing demand for facilities across the United States (US).

Construction companies like Skanska are starting to expand their services in this way to facilitate data centre expansions and site acquisitions.

It is no secret that data centres are mission critical, meaning they are designed to ensure that data and IT infrastructure is reliable, secure and readily available. As a result, more facilities are being built to match customer demand.

We take a look at some of the company’s most recent data centre construction projects. 

Expansion construction footprint

Skanska is currently building data centres in the states of Arizona and Georgia, with each costing millions of dollars to construct. 

In Arizona, the company will be building a facility for US$241m in connection with an existing client. It consists of a single-story data centre and totals approximately 22,800 square metres (245,000 square feet).

The work itself is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2026 and exists as expansion in an already growing data centre construction sector.

Work is underway and is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2026.

Likewise, the construction company has signed a supplemental award for a data centre expansion in the state of Georgia for US$80m. Having signed a contract with an existing client, the additional data halls will be built at a data centre in Georgia and is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2025.

This comes shortly after the Swedish company signed a contract to build a new data centre in Georgia for US$90m.

Work for this new facility is set to begin in August 2024 and aims to reach completion in February 2026.

Skanska’s efforts to expand its data centres marry well with its recent 2024 Construction Market Trends Report, which confirmed data centres continue to experience significant growth, in addition to life sciences facilities and electric vehicle (EV) battery plants.

Speaking at the time, Steve Stouthamer, Executive VP of Project Planning at Skanska USA Building, says: “We are pleased to see a major surge in both public infrastructure work and the implementation of electrification and decarbonization initiatives across the country.

“Skanska continues to innovate with new technologies and sustainable solutions, and we look forward to seeing even wider adoption of these practices across the country through information-sharing like in our Summer 2024 Construction Market Trends Report.”

Skanska’s data centre commitment

Having been in operation for more than 130 years, Skanska holds great pride in its foresight to help shape the way people live and connect. It remains one of the largest development and construction companies, operating across both European and American markets.

With the built environment accounting for nearly 40% of the world’s energy-related carbon emissions, Skanska has committed itself to ensuring its construction projects are more sustainable. 

Significantly, Data Centre Magazine has previously reported that Skanska UK in particular has targeted a 50% reduction in emissions for Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2030. Likewise, it is aiming to optimise energy efficiency and the use of low-carbon materials, as it seeks to drive the market to become more decarbonised.

“Few other sectors can have a greater impact on reducing emissions,” comments CEO Anders Danielsson. 

“Our efforts to reduce emissions extend across our entire operation and drive much of the innovation we see all around the company, as well as presenting a great business opportunity.”

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