Data centers in Europe have found a place to take advantage of energy demand: the Iberian Peninsula.
The forecasts were there that Spain would manage to produce more solar energy before the end of the year. This result is driven by the huge existing renewable capacity, and more and more energy is wasted due to not knowing where to store the excess. However, the consulting firm believed that the situation could be changed and turn the Iberian Peninsula into a favorable zone for the development of data centers in Europe.
Data center. A new report analyzes the huge potential for data centers in the Iberian Peninsula and its impact on energy demand.
Consulting firm Aurora Energy Research detailed in a report that data centers consume approximately 2.8 TWh of electricity, representing 1% of the global market, but they expect this to reach 12.8 TWh by 2030.
Factors. In the Iberian Peninsula there is a very important factor for this situation – energy surplus, which allows the excess energy to be used to supply data centers. In fact, in Spain, excess energy was wasted or stored in swamps by electricity companies.
The report explains that installing infrastructure is more cost-effective because the abundance of renewable energy sources means electricity prices are lower. In addition, they described in detail the strategic location of the peninsula in relation to America and Africa, as well as the presence of a vast territory. Finally, improving the energy efficiency of data centers, which require less energy for cooling.
Extension. Data centers, according to the consulting company, have found incentives for growth and further development in Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon and Sines. However, there are two very specific regions, such as Sines in Portugal and Aragon in Spain, that will take advantage of the presence of the area with large-scale projects of 1.2 GW and 1.8 GW respectively.
Zaragoza data center. The Autonomous Community of Aragon has made large investments in data centers. Large companies have found Zaragoza an ideal location to promote their projects due to the advantages it offers in terms of infrastructure and environment. For example, Blackstone invested 7.5 billion euros in the construction of a data center, and Meta, as confirmed by the Herald, decided to establish its second data center in Spain.
Moreover, Aragon’s abundance of renewable energy, driven by its high production, reinforces the region’s strategy to become a hub for data centers. This new panorama opens up the possibility of using surplus energy from clean sources and not having to depend on other sources such as nuclear.
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Hataka | Meta also wants to bet on nuclear power. The problem is that some bees complicate their plans, reports the FT.