DCT: Are Retrofits the Answer to Sustainable Data Centres?
Data centre retrofit is set to become the leading delivery model across Europe, according to a white paper from Dublin-based DCT Project Management.
As grid constraints, regulatory pressures and ESG commitments intensify, DCT posits that retrofitting existing facilities presents a more strategic, sustainable and commercially viable alternative to constructing new buildings.
The company’s research suggests that retrofits can decrease CapEx by 20-40%, accelerate time-to-revenue by 6-12 months and as much as halve embodied carbon while leveraging existing infrastructure and grid access.
In response to these findings, the paper introduces DCT’s Retrofit Certainty Model, a practical, field-tested methodology crafted to minimise risks in retrofit projects at each stage, including a tailored RIBA Plan of Work specific to retrofit operations.
“Retrofitting isn’t just an option anymore – it’s rapidly becoming the only viable path for scaling digital infrastructure at speed and with engineering certainty,” says Adrian Shanahan, Head of Project Management at DCT and principal author of the paper.
The report adds: “The retrofit case is no longer theoretical – it's financial, strategic and operational. And it's already winning.”
Retrofit Certainty Model for environmental risks
The paper outlines significant pressures in Dublin, where the Republic of Ireland’s Commission for Regulation of Utilities directive CRU/21/124 has effectively paused new grid connections.
Similar constraints are surfacing in London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt, where developers must navigate growing power and energy pressures.
Traditional project management frameworks for new builds are reportedly insufficient for the unique challenges of retrofit delivery, according to DCT.
In response, the company developed the Retrofit Certainty Model, anchored by four principles: front-loaded validation, digital-led delivery, live environment expertise and stakeholder fluency.
- Cost Efficiency: Retrofit typically reduces capital expenditure by 20–40% compared to new builds by reusing key structural and mechanical elements.
- Operational Continuity: Retrofit projects can be phased, protecting uptime and safeguarding existing customer relationships and revenue streams.
- Accelerated Revenue: It shortens delivery timelines by 6–12 months, significantly enhancing return on investment.
- Sustainability and Compliance: Retrofit reduces embodied carbon emissions by 30–50%, directly aligning projects with EU Taxonomy standards and ESG reporting frameworks.
“Retrofit introduces complexity. Poor visibility of existing conditions, constrained live environments and legacy risk demand more than technical competence. They require certainty,” the report says.
“Contractors with data centre project experience can provide genuine value from the outset of a retrofit. Early involvement as delivery partners or as part of a design and build team can help shape the project scope to reduce complexity, shorten timelines and manage risk.”
The impact of AI workloads
The rise of AI and machine learning is reshaping infrastructure needs for retrofitted facilities.
As a result, DCT’s reference designs now anticipate rack densities of 30-70 kW, with projections extending to 100 kW per rack by 2030.
Traditional air cooling systems are proving inadequate for these loads.
Therefore, the whitepaper recommends a strategy that incorporates dynamic thermal zoning and prepares for liquid cooling technologies such as Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs) and direct-to-chip systems.
More than 60% of current data centres across Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe were built before 2015 under different assumptions about energy intensity and cooling topology.
The whitepaper suggests many of these facilities cannot meet modern resilience requirements without substantial reengineering.
Its methodology addresses the transition from legacy infrastructure designed for 5-8kW rack loads to AI-ready environments, advocating for building adaptive infrastructure frameworks that can scale intelligently over time.
“While AI adoption is central to today’s dialogue around data centre density, future compute demands will continue evolving unpredictably,” the paper notes.
Access to the grid
Retrofitting avoids the core challenges that render new builds untenable by utilising existing grid connections, often bypassing complex planning pathways and reducing embodied carbon.
Additionally, it enables quicker realisation of value and alignment with emerging ESG benchmarks, according to DCT.
The paper also notes that older sites often have “grandfathered” grid access, difficult to obtain today, particularly in grid-constrained regions like Dublin — an advantage DCT aims to help clients maximise.
“In many retrofit projects, an existing grid connection is a major hidden asset,” it reads.
DCT highlights that the convergence of grid constraints, planning delays and rising construction costs has fundamentally altered the risk-return profile of new developments, with institutional capital shifting towards strategies that offer faster returns and lower regulatory exposure.
Moreover, modular and prefabrication construction methods are reducing live site program durations by 15-20% and mitigating on-site labour risks through factory-tested solutions.
The report concludes: “It is no longer about how much you can build. It is about how intelligently you can upgrade. In a capital environment where certainty outshines scale, retrofit is the preferred choice for funders seeking growth without heightened exposure.”
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