The numbers behind the global data centre construction boom have reached a scale that is hard to ignore – and insurers are moving fast to keep pace.
The market backdrop is substantial. US data centre construction spending climbed from US$1.8 billion in 2014 to US$28.3 billion in 2024. A further 571 new projects were planned in the US as of December 2025.
Globally, spending on data centre infrastructure is forecast to exceed US$7 trillion by 2030, with AI capacity build-out accelerating demand across multiple countries and regulatory environments.
Kelly Kinzer, global head of construction and surety at Zurich, said the scale of activity was creating demand for specialist cover.
“We are seeing unprecedented growth in data center construction, driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and the need for greater computing capacity,” she said. “These are highly complex projects requiring specialized expertise.”
Data Center Project Guard integrates contractors’ all risk coverage with optional third-party liability. It also includes advanced loss of profits and delay-in-startup cover, as well as transitional operational coverage. Coverage is structured to meet local regulatory requirements while delivering consistent protection across jurisdictions.
Kinzer said the product was designed around end-to-end protection.
“With Data Center Project Guard, we provide our customers with consistent, end-to-end protection backed by our leading underwriting and risk engineering capabilities and decades of technical risk expertise,” she said.
As part of the offering, Zurich Resilience Solutions provides risk engineering and advisory support throughout the construction lifecycle. This support runs from project planning through to completion, with the aim of reducing exposure before issues arise.
Zurich’s expansion arrives at a moment of strain across the broader market. Traditional insurance capacity is currently insufficient to meet planned risk transfer demands tied to AI infrastructure, analysts have warned. S&P analysts have added that the gap between insurable value and available capacity will persist as hyperscale campuses grow in size and complexity.
The competition for this business reflects its scale. Aon expanded its Data Centre Lifecycle Insurance Programme to $3.5 billion in April 2026, its second increase that year. Industry estimates put new premiums entering the data centre insurance market at up to $10 billion in 2026 alone.
Zurich plans further country expansions throughout the rest of 2026.
