Khazna & Eni's Plans for a More Sustainable Data Centre
Khazna Data Centers has signed a Head of Terms (HoT) with Eni, a global Italy-headquartered energy company, to establish a Joint Venture to develop an AI data centre campus.
As a global hyperscale leader, Khazna will be building the data centre with a total IT capacity of 500MW in Ferrera Erbognone, Lombardy.
It looks to combine its expertise in advanced data centre design and operations alongside Eni’s leadership in sustainable energy.
This endeavour aims to position Europe as a central hub for sustainable AI ecosystems, reflecting a commitment to sustainability during a period of heightened demand for AI infrastructure, especially in the MEA region.
The announcement also complements Khazna's strategic initiatives, including its partnership with NVIDIA to enhance AI infrastructures within the Middle East and Africa, and its agreement with the International Data Centre Authority (IDCA) to benchmark services, supporting a robust global network of hyperscale data centres.
Agreement to prioritise decarbonised energy
The HoT was signed in Rome in the presence of Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, alongside senior UAE officials and Adolfo Urso, Italy’s Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy.
Khazna CEO Hassan Alnaqbi and Eni COO Global Natural Resources Guido Brusco signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.
The data centre campus will utilise "Blue Power," a low-carbon electricity source generated by a newly developed high-efficiency Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) designed to capture CO₂ emissions.
“We’re proud to partner with Eni, a demonstrated energy leader, on this HoT, which represents a defining step in Khazna’s European expansion,” says Hassan Alnaqbi, CEO of Khazna Data Centers.
“Together with Eni, we are enabling the infrastructure needed for exponential AI growth – delivering the scale, sustainability and operational precision that next-generation compute demands.”
A sustainable mission to deliver AI and HPC workloads
This project marks an initial progression towards achieving an IT capacity of up to 1GW in Italy.
This objective was outlined in a Letter of Intent from a collaborative announcement made during the state visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President, to Italy in February 2025.
The letter outlined a shared commitment between the UAE and Italy to collaborate across AI, energy transition and digital infrastructure.
Khazna says the HoT marks significant progress for the project, with Khazna appointed as main partner for Eni to design and develop a phased master plan to achieve the 500 MW IT capacity.
Purpose-built for high-density AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, the Milan AI Data Center Campus is expected to deliver scalable, energy-efficient infrastructure designed to power Europe’s digital and AI-driven future.
Guido Brusco, COO Global Natural Resources of Eni, adds: “Through this partnership, Eni and Khazna are jointly contributing to delivering a world-class hyperscale infrastructure, strategic for Italy and Europe, providing their distinctive capabilities in innovation, energy sustainability and rapid time-to-market.”
