Building Resiliency in Data Centres through Advanced Lead Batteries 

The digital infrastructure that powers modern life depends on constant, reliable energy. Data centres, financial networks, and cloud-based services must operate without interruption, yet growing energy demand is testing the limits of existing grids. This is where resiliency becomes essential.  

In the context of data centres, resiliency means the ability to recover quickly and seamlessly from power instabilities such as voltage irregularities or outages. Energy storage, particularly battery systems, makes that possible. 

Across the United States and globally, the growth of hyperscale and AI data centres has transformed power consumption. What once required 10 kilowatts per server rack can now reach 1 megawatt. Clusters of data centres and large-scale EV fast-charging stations are creating concentrated demand on local grids, amplifying the risk of instability. 

In this environment, the ability to stabilise voltage, manage frequency, and provide backup power for varying durations is vital. Resiliency ensures critical operations remain online, even when the grid is under stress. To support resilient energy systems, storage solutions must be: robust, scalable, and sustainable. Advanced lead batteries meet all three criteria. 

They are already deployed in large-scale installations backing up data centres and telecom networks, sometimes involving tens of thousands of batteries per site. Lead and lithium remain the only battery technologies capable of operating at this scale today. Lead batteries also offer an unmatched circular economy model, with a recycling rate of more than 99 per cent, ensuring performance and sustainability go hand in hand. 

At CBI, our mission is to support collaboration across the industry to address these challenges through research projects. Our members are actively supplying integrated lead battery systems tailored to the complex operational needs of today’s data centres. 

Over the next year, hyperscale data centres will continue to expand worldwide, from the US to Europe and South America. With this growth comes increasing scrutiny of their energy impact and a growing demand for demonstrable resiliency. 

By supporting technical innovation and industry collaboration, CBI is helping to ensure that advanced lead batteries remain at the centre of resilient, sustainable power systems for the digital age.