Summary
- ABB reported triple-digit year-on-year growth in data centre orders during Q3 2026, without disclosing a standalone order value.
- Total group orders rose 40% to $12.055 billion, with Electrification orders rising 70% to approximately $7.67 billion.
- ABB is scaling manufacturing capacity incrementally and developing its Infinitus DC portfolio; commercial availability of its solid-state transformer is planned for the second half of 2027.
Swiss electrical engineering group ABB reported triple-digit year-on-year growth in data centre orders during the third quarter of 2026, as group order intake increased by 40% to a record $12.055 billion.
Revenue rose by 14% to $9.701 billion and operational earnings before interest, tax and amortisation reached $2.026 billion, up 24%. Chief executive Morten Wierod identified data centres as the most notable customer segment in a quarter of broadly stronger demand.
ABB has not disclosed the monetary value of data centre orders, their share of the group’s order book or the proportion attributable to European projects. The triple-digit figure describes a percentage increase compared with the previous year, not a dollar total or a measure of newly commissioned computing capacity.
Orders also precede delivery and installation. Electrical distribution equipment can be booked commercially before the data centre buildings, network connections or cooling systems it will serve are ready for operation.
Electrification drives a larger order book
ABB’s Electrification business recorded approximately $7.67 billion in third-quarter orders, an increase of 70% year on year. The business sells equipment and services across data centres, utilities, buildings and other industrial infrastructure, making the total substantially broader than the data centre market.
The segment’s strong order performance is consistent with demand for power distribution and protection equipment used in large computing facilities. Incoming electricity must be transformed and delivered through switchgear, distribution systems and controls before it reaches racks and supporting mechanical plant.
Higher-density computing creates additional challenges for distribution architecture. Larger electrical loads can affect cabling, protective devices, voltage conversion and the space allocated to power equipment within the facility.
However, the equipment required varies by project. A large campus connected to a transmission network has different electrical interfaces from an existing colocation building adding a limited number of racks, even where both purchase equipment from the same supplier.
ABB’s order growth cannot be translated into gigawatts without information about the products sold, power ratings, project configuration and dates of delivery. Orders for equipment replacements or upgrades may also increase without an equivalent expansion in gross data centre floor area.
Group orders exceeded quarterly revenue, resulting in a reported book-to-bill ratio of 1.24. That indicates a stronger rate of new bookings than recognised sales during the period, while providing no individual commissioning dates for the facilities associated with those bookings.
Direct current equipment addresses rack power demand
ABB is expanding its range of direct current distribution technologies for high-density AI facilities. Its Infinitus portfolio comprises five building blocks designed to be combined into electrical systems suited to different computing architectures.
The portfolio was introduced during the quarter, before the 20 October financial results. It is relevant to the earnings discussion as evidence of the supplier’s technical direction, not as a separate product launch occurring on the results date.
ABB says a solid-state transformer within the portfolio is expected to become commercially available in the second half of 2027. That timetable is a planned future milestone, not proof of commercial deliveries or completed installations using the device in 2026.
Direct current distribution can change how power is converted between the incoming supply and computing equipment. Potential system benefits depend on the number of conversion stages, the design of the protective equipment and the electrical requirements of the chosen racks.
Fault detection and isolation remain essential regardless of architecture. DC switching and protective coordination differ from conventional alternating current arrangements, while maintenance and safety provisions must be designed for the specific voltage and operating configuration.
ABB has not published independent performance measurements for a newly commissioned European site using the full Infinitus system. The earnings figures therefore support a conclusion about demand for power infrastructure, not a quantified improvement in efficiency across installed data centres.
Production investment accompanies order growth
Wierod said the company is increasing capacity incrementally, including the use of automation and selected third-party assembly. Capital expenditure is trending at roughly $1 billion annually, a level management does not expect to increase further over the medium term.
Manufacturing expansion has consequences for data centre delivery schedules. Major electrical equipment has to be specified, manufactured, transported and tested before installation, and delays at those stages can prevent a facility from completing its own commissioning programme.
ABB has not disclosed the additional production capacity allocated exclusively to European data centre customers. Nor has it identified which product lines or manufacturing sites account for the reported quarter’s data centre growth.
The company also announced plans to acquire a controlling 51% interest in a joint venture with Mitsubishi Electric’s low-voltage power distribution business, for approximately $495 million including related overseas sales operations. The transaction is intended to strengthen ABB in Japan and Asia-Pacific, and it is separate from the data centre order figures.
ABB’s full-year outlook calls for comparable revenue growth in the low teens and a positive book-to-bill ratio. Those are group-wide forecasts rather than promises of a particular pace of data centre construction or energisation.
The quarter establishes a sharp increase in orders for infrastructure serving data centres, alongside wider electrification demand and manufacturing investment. The eventual effect on operating computing capacity remains dependent on project-specific procurement, grid connections, installation and commissioning not identified in the financial results.
