Investors in data centers in Spain threaten to transfer their projects to Portugal due to the new rules being prepared by the Spanish government for the sector. Portugal is considered the preferred destination, benefiting from access to renewable electricity at competitive prices, good telecommunications connections, excellent geographic location and reasonable regulatory conditions. Other countries such as Italy, France or Poland could also benefit, but Portugal stands out as the most attractive option.
The public consultation on these rules is about to close, with urgency, and companies with capacity of 1 gigawatt or more express great concern about the impact of the new regulations. The main measures include the obligation to consume renewable energy at 80% on an hourly basis, instead of an annual target, and the requirement that each megawatt consumed be turned green within a maximum period of 18 months.
The industry association SpainDC fears a significant negative impact, estimating losses between 53.6 billion and 60.3 billion euros. According to its calculations, direct and indirect investment could be reduced between 80% and 90%. Without this regulatory impact, investment in the sector should reach 67 billion euros by 2030.
