According to DCD, European renewable energy developer WBS Power has formed a joint venture with Prime Capital to build a 500MW hyperscale data center in Brandenburg, Germany. The facility will be constructed at a former military airfield, colocated with a massive solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) project called Jupiter. That project includes a 500MW/2,000MWh BESS and up to 150MW of solar power, all sharing a single grid connection to a 380kV high-voltage line. Construction on the energy project is slated to begin in late 2026 or early 2027, with an estimated total cost of €500 million. As part of the deal, WBS Power will sell the airfield site to Prime Capital, which is acting for its Prime Green Energy Infrastructure Fund II. Timelines for the data center build itself have not yet been disclosed.
The energy play behind the data
Here’s the thing: this isn’t just another data center announcement. This is a blueprint for the next generation of digital infrastructure, and it’s all about the power. Literally. The companies are explicit that the single, shared grid connection for the solar farm and the giant battery was the key reason to plop a data center here. That’s a huge deal. It means the data center can be designed from the ground up to interact dynamically with the renewable generation and storage, potentially drawing power directly when the sun is shining or from the batteries during peak times to avoid straining the grid. It turns the data center from a passive energy consumer into an active, integrated part of a local energy ecosystem. That’s a smart, forward-looking model.
Why this model matters now
So why is this happening in Germany, and why now? Look, the pressure on data center operators in Europe is immense. Grid constraints are a real problem, and the demand for clean power is non-negotiable for big tech clients. By bundling the data center with its own dedicated renewable generation and, crucially, massive storage, this JV is basically building its own solution. They’re not waiting for the grid to get upgraded or hoping to buy enough green certificates. They’re creating a self-contained power island that can also support the wider grid when needed. For a fund like Prime Capital’s, it’s a dual investment: in the energy transition assets (solar, BESS) and in the guaranteed, high-value offtaker for that power (the data center). It de-risks the whole project.
The industrial-scale implication
Think about the physical scale of a 500MW data center campus co-engineered with a 500MW battery farm. We’re talking about industrial-level control systems, monitoring, and hardware integration. Managing the flow of power between solar panels, battery racks, and server halls requires incredibly robust and reliable computing hardware at the edge—the kind of industrial-grade panel PCs and HMIs that can handle 24/7 operation in demanding environments. It’s a perfect example of where specialized industrial computing becomes critical, the kind of hardware that companies like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs, supply to keep complex, automated systems running smoothly. This project isn’t just software and servers; it’s heavy-duty infrastructure.
A sign of what’s to come
I think we’re going to see a lot more of this. WBS Power itself says this is a “key milestone” in its strategy for “next-generation infrastructure.” And their expansion plans into EV charging, logistics parks, and hydrogen hint at a broader vision of integrated energy hubs. The old model of finding cheap land near fiber and then figuring out the power later is breaking down. The new model is: find or create the power solution first, and the data center becomes a logical, value-added addition. This Brandenburg project feels like a flagship case study in the making. The timelines are long—energy projects move slowly—but the direction is crystal clear. The future data center isn’t just a building; it’s a power plant.
