Ares Management Provides EUR 340 Million (~USD 396 Million) Financing for Irish Data Center Development

Dublin, Ireland - January 12, 2026 - Global alternative investment manager Ares Management has provided EUR 340 million (~USD 396 million) in financing to support the development of a major data center project in Ireland, reinforcing institutional investor appetite for digital infrastructure in one of Europe’s most established cloud markets.

The financing backs the first phase of a planned data center development at the Kildare Innovation Campus in Leixlip, County Kildare, according to details disclosed by legal advisers involved in the transaction. The project is designed as a multi-phase facility intended to deliver large-scale capacity for cloud service providers, enterprise customers, and other data-intensive workloads as demand for secure and resilient digital infrastructure continues to rise across Europe.

Ares Management, which oversees hundreds of billions of dollars in assets globally, structured the EUR 340 million (~USD 396 million) package to fund construction and early-stage development at the campus. While specific technical specifications such as IT load, power capacity, and customer commitments have not been publicly disclosed, the financing is viewed as a significant vote of confidence in Ireland’s long-term role as a hub for hyperscale and enterprise data center deployments.

The transaction was advised by Arthur Cox LLP, which said the deal reflects the continued convergence of real estate, infrastructure, and digital assets in institutional portfolios. Industry observers note that large-scale debt financing has become increasingly critical for data center developments, particularly as capital requirements grow alongside higher power densities, sustainability investments, and grid connection costs.

Separate industry reporting indicates that the financing was also covered by Green Street News, a real estate and infrastructure intelligence service, underscoring broader market interest in the transaction, although full details of that coverage are behind a subscription paywall. The appearance of the deal in specialist real estate media highlights how data centers are now firmly established as a mainstream asset class for global investors alongside logistics, residential, and energy infrastructure.

Ireland remains one of Europe’s most important data center markets, hosting significant capacity for major cloud providers due to its connectivity, skilled workforce, and established technology ecosystem. At the same time, new developments face tighter planning scrutiny and grid constraints, making well-capitalized projects with committed financing increasingly important to moving new capacity forward.

The Kildare Innovation Campus development is expected to progress in phases, allowing capacity to be delivered in line with customer demand and power availability. By securing substantial upfront financing, the project’s sponsors are positioned to advance construction while navigating Ireland’s evolving regulatory and energy landscape.

Ares Management’s involvement adds to a growing list of global financial institutions backing European data center projects, signaling continued confidence in long-term demand for digital infrastructure despite near-term market and policy challenges.