ENERGY & POWER
Regulatory pressures and prosumer operations Regulators are increasingly tightening their oversight of data centre consumption. In regions like Ireland, the latest Large Energy User Connection Policies mandate that new facilities match their grid demand with equivalent onsite generation or storage capacity. This forces data centres to act as“ prosumers” – storing energy during periods of excess renewable generation and feeding it back during peak grid strain.
Managing AI’ s dynamic power demands AI workloads introduce extreme fluctuations in power demand. ZincFive’ s 2026 Data Center Energy Storage Industry Insights Report notes that 49 % of industry respondents cite“ AI dynamic power” as a primary driver for overhauling their energy storage technology. Traditional Uninterruptible Power Supply( UPS) systems are being pushed beyond their limits by the thermal and power density requirements of AI racks, which are actively scaling toward 1MW + thresholds.
Consequently, there is a mass transition away from legacy leadacid batteries toward chemistries with smaller footprints, higher power densities and faster, safer discharge rates. Technologies like Nickel-Zinc( NiZn) and specialised lithium-ion racks are redefining new deployments.
SODIUM-ION: THE EMERGING CONTENDER
While lithium-ion dominates BESS deployments, sodium-ion( Na-ion) is rapidly emerging as a disruptive force in 2026. Operators are drawn to sodiumion due to lower raw material costs and independence from volatile lithium supply chains. Crucially for high-density AI facilities, Na-ion batteries offer superior thermal stability and operate safely across wider temperature ranges, significantly reducing the cooling burden in UPS rooms.
With major manufacturers scaling commercial production this year, sodium-ion presents a compelling, highly sustainable alternative for grid-scale energy storage, promising to further decentralise data centre power resilience.
The rise of long-duration energy storage While short-term UPS systems handle immediate dynamic loads and outages, hyperscalers are investing billions into ultra-long-duration energy storage( LDES) to enable true 24 / 7 renewable operations.
Companies are actively signing multigigawatt deals for alternative chemistry systems capable of providing reliable, multi-day baseload power, ensuring uptime regardless of the weather or local utility bottlenecks.
120 June 2026