The agreement for selecting the hyperscaler that will undertake PPC’s major data center in Kozani is expected to be finalized in the next 3-6 months — an investment aiming to transform Western Macedonia into an energy and digital hub of Southeastern Europe.The selected company will install and operate the IT infrastructure, while PPC will contribute the land, buildings, energy infrastructure, and long-term power supply through contracts exceeding ten years.A senior PPC source noted, on the sidelines of the company’s listing ceremony for new shares on the stock exchange, that negotiations with interested hyperscalers have matured significantly after months of discussions.The first phase of 3.5 billion eurosThe first phase of the project concerns a 300 MW data center, with a total investment of approximately 3.5 billion euros, of which PPC is expected to contribute around 1.2 billion.Provided timelines are met, construction could begin as early as 2026, while the project is expected to be completed in 2028.In a second phase, the facility’s capacity could reach up to 1 GW, supported by a broad energy ecosystem including natural gas units, hydroelectric plants, solar farms, high- and extra-high-voltage networks, as well as telecommunications infrastructure.The major bet on artificial intelligenceThe plan is part of PPC’s new strategic roadmap for 2026–2030, where data centers emerge as one of the company’s key growth pillars.According to the business plan, PPC believes it can cover the energy needs of data centers with a total capacity of up to 2 GW in Greece — investments that could potentially reach 20 billion euros.At the same time, the “export” of the model is being considered to markets in Central and Eastern Europe where the company is already active or plans to expand.Europe’s need for data centersThe timing is considered particularly favorable. Global demand for data centers is expected to surge to 163 GW by 2030 from 46 GW in 2020, driven primarily by the artificial intelligence boom.In Europe specifically, demand is expected to reach 28 GW by the end of the decade, while the existing project pipeline leaves a gap of around 11 GW — part of which PPC aims to fill.Share buyback continuesThe first phase of the Kozani investment accounts for just 5% of the company’s total 24 billion euro investment program outlined in the new business plan.However, if the planned expansions materialize, the scale could change dramatically.It was also confirmed at the same event that PPC’s share buyback program will continue even after the capital increase.