BlackRock to Invest $678m in UK Data Centers

Power technology firm ABB is investing $110 million in manufacturing over the next three months to support growth in industries such as data centers. This investment is to “expand R&D and manufacturing of its advanced electrification solutions,” as customers “focus on improving energy efficiency and uptime while reducing their energy costs.”

“Demand is being driven by key trends, from the surging power needs of AI in data centers, to grid modernization and customers improving energy efficiency and uptime to reduce their costs. Our investments will ensure we can meet growing demand from customers across North America in line with our local-for-local strategy.”

A $30 million project will double the footprint of ABB’s Richmond, Virginia, facility, adding a new test center, warehouse, and assembly lines. The power quality and protection products made in Richmond are used by data centers, manufacturing plants, and utilities to protect critical systems in essential operations and services, like servers, MRI machines, and production lines from electrical failures. This will open in Q4 2025.