Post - Blog
Rethinking energy resilience in Europe’s digital era
- a day ago (2025-05-24)
- Junior Isles
Ben Pritchard , CEO, AVK
Energy Evolution Conference 2026 Dubai
As Europe hurtles towards a future increasingly defined by electrification, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure, the pressure on our energy systems is reaching a breaking point. The recent blackouts in Spain and Portugal are not isolated incidents. They are symptomatic of a wider structural challenge facing Europe’s increasingly ageing and inflexible power grids. The digital revolution demands a revolution in how we power it.
At AVK , we believe the answer lies not in doubling down on traditional centralised energy models, but in reimagining our entire approach to energy resilience. It’s time to transition to decentralised, flexible power systems that can operate independently or in collaboration with the national grid. Systems that not only support today’s demand but are built to withstand the shocks of tomorrow.
Grid constraints: an increasing threat to digital progress
Nowhere is this challenge more acute than in the data centre sector. These digital powerhouses are at the heart of everything from AI to finance, critical life sciences to government services. However, as demand for capacity soars, the ability to connect new facilities to the grid falters. In some European countries, including Ireland and the Netherlands, moratoriums on new grid-tied data centres have been imposed. In the UK, developers are facing wait times of up to a decade for new grid connections.
This reality is driving a critical shift. Developers and investors are waking up to the fact that waiting for grid access is no longer a viable strategy. Off-grid, private wire generation and microgrid solutions are fast becoming not just alternatives, but the default route for powering next-generation digital infrastructure.
Microgrids that sustainably power progress
At AVK, we have long championed microgrids as a future-facing solution that bridges the gap between resilience and sustainability. By integrating renewable generation, battery storage, and low-emission backup fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), microgrids enable Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) like data centres to reduce emissions by up to 90%, while operating with complete autonomy from the grid.
We currently have over 200 MW of microgrids under development across Europe, with more than 1 GW in the design pipeline. These systems are not theoretical. They’re real, operational, and already helping customers mitigate grid constraints, stabilise energy costs, and progress toward net-zero goals.
This isn’t just about resilience. It’s about transformation. A recent whitepaper from Loughborough University’s Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST), in which AVK contributed, revealed that hybrid renewable microgrids can offer lower carbon emissions and lower energy costs compared to conventional grid supply over a 35-year lifespan. The study assessed constant-load, 50 MW data centres and introduced the Levelised Cost of Energy Utilised (LCOEu) as a new metric to evaluate economic viability. Results showed that microgrids not only make environmental sense, but they also make financial sense.
On-site generation: the strategic backbone
Complementing our work in microgrids, AVK has partnered with Wärtsilä to deliver a new class of high-efficiency, fuel-flexible power plants tailored for data centres and other critical infrastructure. These advanced systems are designed to operate seamlessly with a range of low-emission fuels, including HVO, natural gas, and in future, hydrogen, providing a sustainable bridge between current operational needs and long-term decarbonisation goals.
This kind of on-site generation is fast becoming a strategic necessity, not just a backup measure. As more organisations recognise the risks associated with grid dependency, there’s a growing move toward embedding generation capacity directly into the fabric of new data centre builds.
On-site systems enable facilities to maintain uptime regardless of grid instability, but more importantly, they serve as the foundation for intelligent energy strategies, where data centres become self-sufficient, cost-stable, and capable of contributing power back to the local ecosystem.
AVK’s approach ensures these systems are not static assets. They are integrated, flexible, and capable of responding dynamically to operational loads, renewable variability, and market signals. For instance, during periods of low demand or high grid stress, our installations can ramp up to supply auxiliary power where needed, aiding local grid operators and helping stabilise wider energy supply networks.
Beyond their operational value, on-site generation projects also offer a measurable sustainability return. By reducing reliance on grid electricity, which is often still heavily reliant on fossil fuels in many regions, operators can significantly cut their Scope 2 emissions. This has a tangible impact on corporate ESG reporting and accelerates compliance with incoming regulatory pressures around energy use and carbon transparency.
For mission-critical environments like data centres, hospitals, defence installations and pharmaceutical plants, on-site generation is not simply about energy independence but operational assurance, environmental leadership, and strategic control. AVK’s portfolio includes systems that have been tested under extreme conditions, including remote locations and harsh climates, ensuring resilience even in the most demanding scenarios.
In today’s energy landscape, the ability to generate power on-site, flexibly, and sustainably is not just a competitive advantage. It’s a defining characteristic of future-ready infrastructure. Through our collaboration with Wärtsilä and others, we are proud to deliver these capabilities to our clients across the UK, Europe and beyond.
Investing in people and planet
The shift towards decentralised, resilient energy infrastructure is not just a technological challenge. It’s a human one. No matter how advanced the hardware or sophisticated the software, sustainable energy systems require skilled individuals to design, build, operate, and maintain them.
Yet, across Europe, the energy and data centre sectors face a mounting skills crisis, with too few qualified engineers to meet the growing demand for power generation, control systems, and on-site infrastructure expertise.
At AVK, we recognise that solving the resilience challenge starts with people. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in building the next generation of talent through the AVK Academy . Launched as a direct response to the widening skills gap, the Academy provides structured training for future power systems engineers, combining rigorous classroom learning with immersive, hands-on experience in real operational environments.
Our goal is to create a pipeline of professionals equipped to support the deployment of microgrids, on-site generation, and flexible energy infrastructure across Europe. Trainees at the Academy gain direct exposure to state-of-the-art equipment, including full-scale engines, switchgear, and control systems. Experienced AVK engineers mentor them throughout their development journey.
But it doesn’t stop there. The Academy isn’t just for new recruits. It’s a hub for lifelong learning, where our most experienced team members can sharpen their skills as technologies evolve. With sustainability and digital transformation reshaping the energy landscape at a pace, continuous upskilling is essential. Whether it’s understanding the nuances of hybrid renewable integration or mastering the control logic behind smart microgrids, our engineers are being trained to lead, not follow.
What sets the Academy apart is its alignment with our broader sustainability vision. Every engineer we train is not just learning how to install or maintain a system. They’re learning how to deliver resilient, low-carbon infrastructure that makes a genuine contribution to net-zero targets.
This investment in people also drives local impact. With training centres in the South East and plans for expansion in the North of England, we’re creating high-quality employment opportunities in the regions where energy infrastructure needs are most pressing. It’s a model that supports both national energy security and local economic regeneration—proof that solving critical challenges can deliver value at every level of society.
Ultimately, resilient energy systems are built on three pillars: innovative technology, sustainable design, and skilled people. Through the AVK Academy, we’re ensuring that the last pillar is not only strong but also future-proofed.
From consumers to contributors
The narrative surrounding data centres must change. They should no longer be viewed as energy-hungry liabilities but as active participants in the energy ecosystem, consumers when needed, and contributors when it matters.
Through flexible design, grid interaction, and on-site renewables, these facilities can support the wider grid, provide backup to local communities, and reduce national dependence on centralised power.
Energy resilience is not about diesel generators waiting in the wings. It’s about rethinking the architecture of our power systems from the ground up. It’s about enabling critical infrastructure to operate independently, flexibly, and sustainably, without waiting in decade-long grid queues or compromising on climate objectives.
At AVK, we are proud to be at the forefront of this transformation of critical power solutions. Together with our customers, partners, and industry peers, we are designing the blueprint for a cleaner, more resilient digital future.