Digital Realty Starts Work on New Frankfurt Data Centre

Digital Realty has begun construction on FRA20, the latest addition to its data centre portfolio in Frankfurt. 

The new site will deliver 16MW of installed IT capacity and is designed to support high-density workloads, including AI applications.

FRA20 will be built in two phases and will provide over 8,100 square metres of white space. 

Once operational, the facility will support Frankfurt’s role as a leading data centre hub and respond to customer demand for scalable digital infrastructure in Germany.

Volker Ludwig, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Digital Realty Central Europe, says: “Our continued investment in Frankfurt reflects both the strategic importance of the location and the growing demand for AI-optimised, sustainable digital infrastructure. 

“With FRA20 and the ongoing development of Digital Park Fechenheim, we are scaling up a future-ready ecosystem to support our customers’ most critical workloads.”

Supporting AI demand with sustainable infrastructure

FRA20 is part of Digital Park Fechenheim, a major development site that is expected to include 11 interconnected data centres at full build-out. 

The goal is to deliver a total of 200MW of IT capacity across approximately 90,000 square metres.

The company says five of these facilities, including FRA18 which opened earlier this year, will be located inside the Eiermann Building – a listed structure currently undergoing redevelopment for data centre use.

The first phase of FRA20 is due to go live in spring 2027.

The design of the new data centre reflects Digital Realty’s AI-ready approach, with infrastructure optimised for high-density deployments. This includes advanced cooling systems to support the growing power and thermal needs of AI and machine learning models.

FRA20 will also meet Digital Realty’s sustainability targets. The company confirms the site will operate on 100% renewable energy, in line with its global energy transparency and environmental commitments.

Expansion across the Frankfurt region

FRA20 continues Digital Realty’s expansion strategy in Germany and reinforces Frankfurt’s role in the company’s EMEA platform. 

The city remains one of Europe’s largest data centre markets, supported by its carrier-neutral interconnection ecosystem and enterprise demand.

The broader vision for Digital Park Fechenheim positions Frankfurt as a major hub for AI infrastructure in the region. 

Digital Realty aims to offer a fully integrated environment across its German facilities, allowing customers to scale workloads with greater flexibility and resilience.

The company’s previous project in Frankfurt, the AI-optimised FRA18 facility, also focused on supporting sustainable operations and was integrated into the Eiermann redevelopment. 

FRA20 will build on this foundation and add new capacity for customers in sectors including cloud, enterprise IT and AI development.

The development of FRA20 marks another step in Digital Realty’s long-term strategy to deliver high-performance, environmentally responsible infrastructure in Europe’s key markets.