From lignite to artificial intelligence, Kozani is betting on data centers for the new era.

On the very site where tons of lignite were once stockpiled to fuel power plants, PPC (Public Power Corporation) plans to build one of Europe’s largest data centers. This project lies at the heart of a €5.8 billion investment plan aimed at transforming this former lignite-mining region into a technology and energy hub.

The venture represents a major test for the lignite phase-out—not only for Western Macedonia but also for PPC itself, as the company seeks to shed its image as an entity reliant solely on coal.

From strip mines to data centers
For decades, Kozani was a "PPC town." At the peak of operations in 2010, the company employed approximately 5,500 people in Western Macedonia, generating an entire economic ecosystem around its activities.

Today, the region faces the challenging transition into a new era. The Agios Dimitrios plant, located approximately 18 kilometers from Kozani, has ceased operations following the gradual phase-out of lignite. The plant's workforce has been reduced to 58 employees, down from 420 at the beginning of the year.

The region's last major lignite-fired plant, Ptolemaida V, is also expected to stop using lignite by the end of the year.

For the local community, however, the major question remains: what will replace the lost jobs?

"No one is saying the plants shouldn't close, but we need to be told exactly what will happen next," said Kozani Mayor Giannis Kokkaliaris, noting that the region requires new jobs with comparable pay.

The Artificial Intelligence Bet
The government and PPC (DEI) respond that the new economy will be based on technology and artificial intelligence.

The Kozani data center will have a capacity of 300 MW, with the aim of completion by the end of 2028 and the potential to expand to 1 GW by 2031.

PPC is already in discussions with major technology companies and hyperscalers regarding the leasing of the facilities. One of the project's key advantages is that electricity will be supplied via the local PPC (DEI) grid, under long-term power supply agreements.

At the same time, the company maintains that the data center's water consumption will amount to just 0.6% of the needs associated with the previous lignite operations.