The development of the data centre market in Spain has shown remarkable expansion so far this year, according to Colliers' Data Center Snapshot report. This analysis details the significant increase in projects in the key areas of Madrid, Barcelona, Aragon and Lisbon, projecting an increase of 249 MW IT until 2026.
In Barcelona, installed IT capacity grew by 68% from January to September, increasing from 25 to 42 MW IT. During this period, Merlin Properties commissioned 13 MW IT and Equinix inaugurated its second site, BA2, with a capacity of approximately 4 MW IT. The arrival of a submarine cable in Sant Adriá del Besòs and the limited electricity capacity in Madrid have made Barcelona a focus of attraction for international operators. "These transactions demonstrate that the main operators are already implementing land reservation strategies in Barcelona, preparing for the arrival of demand in the medium term," explained José Maria Guilleuma, Director of Data Centres at Colliers for the Iberian Peninsula.
In Madrid, data centre capacity remained stable at 164 MW IT until the third quarter of 2024. However, significant growth is anticipated, with potential expansions that could multiply the current capacity to 792 MW IT by 2030. The pipeline of projects ready for commissioning has increased by 14% compared to the first half of 2023, reaching 628 MW IT. "The northeast area of the province of Madrid remains the main micro-location with cluster effect, concentrating most of the current and future supply," Guilleuma added.
In Aragon, installed capacity reached 108 MW IT with the activation of the first phase of data centres powered by Amazon. The region is emerging as an important investment hub, with an anticipated pipeline of 1,800 MW IT. Significant announcements include investments by AWS of EUR 15.7 billion and Microsoft, which plans to invest more than EUR 6.6 billion in various projects. In addition, QTS has announced the construction of a 300 MW IT macro data centre in Calatorao (Zaragoza).
In Lisbon, which is home to more than 50% of Portugal's data centres, there is notable momentum in the market with projects that will raise capacity from 495 MW IT to 1.2 GW at Start Campus DC. Equinix and AtlasEdge have also announced significant investments for the development of new data centres in the region.
"The city has accelerated the pace of supply and demand in recent months, mainly due to its strategic position in terms of submarine cable network and growing interest from several operators. However, this upward trend needs to be sustained in the coming semesters in order to appreciate the city's true potential," concluded Guilleuma.
