Overview
- Cabinet signs off a national strategy with targets to at least double total capacity and quadruple AI‑focused capacity by 2030, moving from roughly 3 GW today to a minimum of about 6 GW overall with at least 2 GW for AI.
- Government sets a 12‑month launch window for 28 measures, including faster permits, prioritizing brownfield sites such as former power‑plant grounds, and a new rule directing trade tax to the host municipality.
- All new facilities are to run on 100% renewable power, with Berlin seeking EU approval to make free heat‑recovery deliveries to district heating networks tax‑free.
- The plan seeks greater digital sovereignty by reducing reliance on non‑European hyperscalers and backing at least one commercial AI “gigafactory” built under a European public‑private consortium.
- Implementation faces immediate constraints as Frankfurt/Rhein‑Main hits grid limits—operator Mainova says major new connections will likely resume only in the mid‑2030s—compounding high power costs and site and connection lead times.