Rystad: Data Center Capex Tops Oil, Batteries Standard

Rystad Energy reported that global data center capital expenditure in 2025 reached USD 770 billion and surpassed upstream oil and gas spending for the first time; the exact event date was not specified. The development affects data center investors, battery system suppliers, manufacturers, traders, and supply chain service providers because large AI computing center tenders are increasingly linking procurement access to technical standards, certification evidence, and compliance documentation for Containerized Battery systems.

Confirmed Report Highlights

According to the information provided, Rystad Energy issued a report dated May 28, 2026 stating that global data center capital expenditure reached USD 770 billion in 2025, exceeding upstream oil and gas capital expenditure for the first time.

The same summary states that projects above 100 MW were equipped with Containerized Battery systems as frequency regulation and backup power units.

For newly built AI computing center tenders in North America and the Middle East, the provided information says that liquid-cooled Containerized Battery systems are required to meet IP55 protection level requirements and provide a UL 9540A thermal runaway report as mandatory technical parameters.

How the New Tender Requirements May Reshape Industry Roles

Direct trading companies

From an industry perspective, direct trading companies may be affected because procurement discussions are no longer limited to price, delivery terms, and product availability. When IP55 protection and UL 9540A thermal runaway documentation are written into tender specifications, traders need to verify whether the products they represent can satisfy mandatory technical parameters before entering a bid.

The impact is likely to appear in quotation preparation, customer qualification reviews, export documentation, and post-bid clarification. Traders may need to pay closer attention to whether certificates, test reports, product descriptions, and tender responses are consistent with the actual Containerized Battery configuration being supplied.

Raw material and component procurement companies

Analysis shows that procurement teams for materials, components, and equipment may face more precise specification alignment. Liquid-cooled Containerized Battery systems used in large AI computing center projects must support the required protection level and safety documentation, so upstream purchasing decisions may need to reflect enclosure protection, thermal management, electrical safety, and traceability requirements.

Business links affected may include supplier screening, incoming inspection, purchase order terms, and technical file collection. Companies may need to monitor whether component suppliers can provide documentation that supports downstream IP55 claims and UL 9540A-related evidence.

Processing and manufacturing enterprises

Manufacturers are directly exposed to these tender requirements because they must convert project specifications into engineering design, process control, testing, and delivery documentation. The requirement for liquid cooling, IP55 protection, and UL 9540A thermal runaway reporting may influence enclosure design, thermal system integration, battery module layout, quality inspection, and final acceptance procedures.

What deserves closer attention is the connection between manufacturing capability and technical bid commitments. If tender documents require specific test evidence, manufacturers may need to ensure that product configuration, test sample status, production version, and delivered system are aligned.

Supply chain service providers

Supply chain service providers, including logistics coordinators, inspection service providers, warehousing operators, and documentation support partners, may also be affected. Containerized Battery systems used for frequency regulation and backup power are complex assets, and tender-driven compliance requirements can increase the need for complete shipment records, inspection coordination, and document transfer.

The affected business areas may include pre-shipment review, packaging verification, delivery scheduling, quality record retention, and after-sales traceability. Service providers may need to follow changes in customer documentation requirements and support suppliers in maintaining consistent technical records across the transaction chain.

Compliance Priorities for Companies Preparing Bids

Verify IP55 and UL 9540A evidence before quotation

Companies preparing to participate in AI computing center tenders should review whether the liquid-cooled Containerized Battery system has documentation that clearly supports the IP55 protection level and UL 9540A thermal runaway reporting requirement. This is especially important where these items are listed as mandatory technical parameters rather than optional reference indicators.

Align technical bids with the actual supplied configuration

Specification alignment should cover the battery container, cooling system, protection design, backup power function, and frequency regulation role. A bid that references a report or protection level should be consistent with the configuration that will be delivered, installed, and maintained.

Prepare procurement and delivery plans around compliance documents

Because large projects above 100 MW are described as using Containerized Battery systems as frequency regulation and backup power units, delivery planning may need to include document readiness in addition to equipment availability. Certification reports, test records, quality files, and supplier declarations may become part of the critical path for tender submission and project acceptance.

Strengthen supplier qualification and after-sales traceability

Enterprises may need to assess whether suppliers can maintain stable technical documentation, version control, and quality traceability. After-sales service teams should also prepare to support inquiries related to thermal runaway testing, liquid cooling performance, enclosure protection, and system maintenance records.

Industry Observation: Standards Are Becoming Procurement Gateways

Analysis shows that the reported tender requirements should be understood less as a simple product preference and more as a shift in procurement rules for high-load AI infrastructure. When protection ratings and thermal runaway reports become mandatory technical parameters, compliance readiness may become a bidding prerequisite.

From an industry perspective, this may raise the operating threshold for suppliers that previously competed mainly on equipment cost or delivery speed. Manufacturers with stronger testing coordination, documentation control, and specification response capabilities may be better positioned, while companies without complete certification files may face additional bid review pressure.

Observably, the rise of data center capital expenditure and the use of Containerized Battery systems in projects above 100 MW could also extend the influence of battery safety standards into data center investment decisions. However, this remains an industry interpretation based on the provided report summary, not an independently confirmed market forecast.

Conclusion

The reported Rystad Energy findings indicate that data center investment has become a major capital expenditure focus and that Containerized Battery systems are gaining importance in large-scale AI computing infrastructure. The key industry significance lies in the movement from equipment procurement toward standards-based qualification, especially around IP55 protection and UL 9540A thermal runaway documentation.

A prudent conclusion is that companies serving data center energy storage projects should treat certification evidence, technical bid alignment, and supply chain traceability as practical competitiveness factors. The final impact will depend on how tender documents, certification reviews, and customer acceptance requirements continue to evolve.

Source and Ongoing Verification Notes

This article is based on the user-provided news title, event timing information, and event summary concerning the Rystad Energy report dated May 28, 2026. Specific official source links were not provided in the input and should be verified continuously.

For events of this type, companies should generally monitor official tender documents, recognized certification and testing bodies, technical standard updates, project owner requirements, and industry feedback. Further observation is still needed on policy details, certification enforcement practices, tender specification changes, and responses from market participants.