Invitation of transatlantic cooperation to the development of Data Centers was addressed by the President and CEO of PPCGeorge Stassis, speaking today (31.3.2025) at the event on geopolitics, connectivity and energy security organized by the German Marshall Fund in Athens in collaboration with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“In 2022, the United States supplied Europe with liquefied natural gas to tackle the European crisis of energy supply and security. Today, Europe and the United States have the opportunity to work together to develop data centers to ensure that they will be the spearhead of technological progress in an increasingly digital world, “the PPC president stressed.
He also recalled PPC’s intention to develop a large scale Data Center on the areas of the former Lignite Mines of Western Macedonia.
The PPC leader identified the areas of energy and infrastructure as suitable for business partnerships with the US and added: “Recent geopolitical and energy crises have made Europe priorities clear to achieve strategic autonomy while strengthening European competitiveness. Given the new government’s priorities in the United States, we may need to review the alliance through the light of business partnerships to ensure mutual benefits. “
Mr Stassis presented the example of PPC’s transformation into a leader in the SE Europe region, with investments of 7 billion euros in the previous five years and another 10 billion euros, scheduled for 2027 mainly in green and flexible power plants but also in networks.
“The energy and digital sector are becoming critical and necessary for each other,” he said. “Energy security is no longer only about access to resources, but also connectivity that exceeds natural infrastructure, namely conductors and electricity transmission lines. The digital world is no longer just about connection speeds and faster services. The world of energy needs technology to manage production. And the digital world needs energy as the adoption of artificial intelligence accelerates and the demand for data centers is launched worldwide. At this point, utilities need to be done more than suppliers. They become strategic partners. And to seize this opportunity, PPC is no longer just a provider. We are a company located at the crossroads of energy and digital technology. “
Our role, Mr Stassis concluded, is to show how regional cooperation can be aligned with the broader transatlantic goals and ensure that we face the challenges together and create opportunities for development and innovation.