AI growth to drive 500% surge in data centre power demand by 2040

Global data centre power demand is set to surge 500 per cent by 2040, with about three-quarters of that energy still supplied by hydrocarbons, the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi heard on Tuesday. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and managing director and group chief executive of Adnoc, said “energy demand is accelerating across every dimension”. “Air travel will double. Cities will expand by 1.5 billion people,” Dr Al Jaber, who is also chairman of Masdar, told the sustainability conference.