Zurich Insurance Group has expanded the availability of Data Centre Project Guard, its insurance and risk management product for data centre construction, after demand for cover tied to data centre projects increased across markets.
The product, which was launched in the US, is being introduced in Brazil, Germany, Italy, the Nordic countries, and Spain. Zurich said it plans further expansion in other markets during 2026.
Zurich said the expansion follows take-up in the US, where the insurer underwrote more than 245 data centre construction projects in 2025. The company said the product is intended for data centre projects that involve several contractors, suppliers, financing parties, and regulatory requirements.
The move comes as data centre construction has become a larger part of the infrastructure market. Zurich said market estimates put spending on data centre infrastructure at more than $7tn by 2030. That spending is linked to demand for computing capacity, including demand associated with artificial intelligence.
Data Centre Project Guard combines contractors’ all-risk cover with optional third-party liability cover, advanced loss of profits or delay-in-startup cover, and transitional operational cover. Zurich said the product is designed to address exposures that arise during the construction of data centres and during the period when a project moves towards operation.
Contractors’ all-risk cover usually protects against physical loss or damage during construction, subject to the terms of the policy. Third-party liability cover is intended to respond to claims made by third parties. Delay-in-startup cover can address financial loss when an insured event delays the start of operations. Transitional operational cover applies during the handover period between construction and full operation.
Zurich said the product can be adapted to local regulatory requirements while providing a consistent framework across jurisdictions. That point is relevant for developers working across several countries, where construction law, insurance rules and permitting requirements can differ.
Kelly Kinzer, Zurich’s global head of construction and surety, said the company was seeing growth in data centre construction because of AI and demand for computing capacity.
“We are seeing unprecedented growth in data centre construction, driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and the need for greater computing capacity. These are highly complex projects requiring specialised expertise,” Kinzer said.
“With Data Centre 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.”
Zurich has positioned the product as both insurance cover and risk management support. As part of Data Centre Project Guard, Zurich Resilience Solutions provides risk engineering and advisory services during the construction lifecycle. The support begins during project planning and continues through completion.
The company said that support is meant to help customers identify risk before issues arise. In data centre construction, such risks can include design issues, supply chain delays, contractor coordination, testing problems, equipment failure, fire exposure, and the effect of delayed completion on revenue.
The timing of Zurich’s expansion reflects the scale of data centre construction and the insurance issues attached to it. Data centre projects can involve large electrical systems, cooling infrastructure, backup generation, specialist equipment, and deadlines tied to customer contracts. A delay can affect the start of commercial operations and revenue generation.
The build-out of data centres has also drawn scrutiny over power use, water use, land use and local infrastructure. Zurich’s announcement does not address those policy issues in detail. Its focus is on construction risk, insurance coordination, and support for developers operating across markets.
For insurers, the growth of data centre construction creates underwriting opportunity, but it also raises aggregation and project risk questions. Projects can be large, expensive, and time-sensitive. They may also depend on imported equipment, grid connections, and suppliers with limited capacity.
Zurich’s expansion of Data Centre Project Guard suggests that the insurer sees demand for a more standardised insurance structure for data centre construction. The product is aimed at customers that want coordinated protection across countries while meeting local insurance rules.
The company did not disclose premium volumes, policy limits, or customer names in the announcement. It also did not say which additional markets would be added after Brazil, Germany, Italy, the Nordics, and Spain.
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