Thylander Begins Construction of Data Center in Esbjerg, Denmark
Aug 17, 2026 Posted by Abdul-Rahman Oladimeji Published in Thylander
Danish real estate firm Thylander has begun construction on Dansk Data Center 1 (DDC1) at Esbjerg Port. The facility will provide 11.5MW and is expected to become operational in October 2027. It will use energy management technology to adjust power consumption based on grid capacity, while energy storage will help balance the grid. DDC1 will also use closed-loop cooling to reduce water consumption, with excess heat supplied to the local district heating network. The project is owned by PensionDanmark, Thylander Group, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.
“Our ambition is not just to build a single data center, but to set a new standard for how data centers can be developed as an integral part of society,” said Anders Frich Mathiesen, CEO of Thylander Data Centers. “From an infrastructure perspective, Esbjerg is one of the most important industrial hubs and a very business-friendly municipality. This makes the port an ideal location for a project like DDC1, which is built on strong local collaboration,” added Karsten Uhd Plauborg, partner at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and CEO of Plexar.
Esbjerg is a port city on Denmark’s west coast. Thylander first announced plans for a 100MW data center there in 2025, describing it as a fully Danish-developed and operated hyperscale facility. Founded in 1986, Thylander is a Danish real estate developer and investor with 74 properties and 10 property funds. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, founded in 2012, is a Danish infrastructure investment firm.
“Access to data centers is a key competitive factor and a prerequisite for realizing AI growth. It is therefore natural for us to invest in Danish data center capacity for Danish businesses. PensionDanmark invests in digital infrastructure globally, so it makes sense for us to develop data capacity for Danish companies while we also get the opportunity to generate attractive returns on our members’ retirement savings,” added Rune Gade Holm, head of private markets at PensionDanmark.
