The global data centre fire protection market is poised for significant growth, with projections indicating a rise from $4.47 billion in 2025 to $10.35 billion by 2035. This growth is driven by increasing rack densities, lithium-ion battery hazards, and stricter regulations on clean agents, as reported by the International Fire & Safety Journal.
Market Drivers and Trends
The expansion of data centre capacities, anticipated to add approximately 12 GW annually, is a key factor contributing to an estimated $2.95 billion in new-build fire protection spending. Hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, and edge facilities are increasingly incorporating denser computing infrastructure to support artificial intelligence and other high-performance workloads. This shift necessitates enhanced fire protection measures.
The deployment of lithium-ion uninterruptible power supplies and rack battery systems is reshaping detection and suppression requirements. Thermal runaway in these systems differs from conventional electrical fires, prompting operators to focus on off-gas sensing, localised protection, and revised response strategies in areas with significant stored-energy inventories.
Regulatory and Technological Shifts
Regulatory changes are also influencing the market, with restrictions on PFAS- and HFC-based products tightening the clean-agent supply environment. This has increased interest in water mist, hybrid, and alternative clean-agent systems, with the water mist and hybrid suppression segment projected to reach $1.14 billion by 2035.
Amit Jain, senior consultant for ICT and emerging technologies at DC Market Insights, emphasises the need for specialised fire protection as data centres integrate higher energy density with batteries, liquid cooling, and complex electrical infrastructure. Operators are reassessing the use of clean agents, early off-gas detection, and water-based systems to protect high-value equipment without causing unacceptable downtime.
Implications for UK Data Centres
For UK data centre operators, these trends underscore the importance of adopting advanced fire protection strategies to meet growing market demands and evolving safety standards. The focus on inspection, testing, and maintenance services, expected to reach $2.66 billion by 2035, offers a recurring revenue opportunity for fire protection providers beyond equipment sales.
North America leads the regional market with 40% of the market’s value in 2025, followed by Asia-Pacific at 28% and Europe at 23.5%. The Middle East and Africa represented 4.3%, while Latin America accounted for 4.2%. This distribution reflects differences in hyperscale investment, AI adoption, installed data centre capacity, power availability, supply chains, and the pace of new construction and retrofit projects.
Future Developments and Considerations
Recent developments include Johnson Controls’ launch of Simplex Incident Manager and Autocall Fire Site Administrator workstations, supporting up to 250,000 devices, and FM’s revision of Data Sheet 5-32, advising against clean-agent systems for rack-mounted lithium-ion battery units above 20 kWh. These innovations and guidelines indicate ongoing advancements and adjustments in fire protection strategies.
Practical Takeaways
Evaluate current fire protection systems in light of new technologies and regulations.
Consider integrating off-gas sensing and localised protection for lithium-ion battery systems.
Explore water mist and hybrid suppression systems as alternatives to traditional clean agents.
Stay informed about regulatory changes affecting fire protection materials and methods.
