Ferrovial will invest over €1 billion in a data centre campus in Alcobendas, with 100 MW capacity. The first phase, of 60 MW, will create 50 qualified direct jobs.
Ferrovial has received the green light to build a data centre campus in Alcobendas, an investment exceeding €1 billion. The regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, announced the project this Thursday during an informational meeting, highlighting that it already has the land movement license and favourable reports in urban planning, digital strategy, and energy transition.
The complex, with a capacity exceeding 100 megawatts (MW), will start with an initial phase of 60 MW that will generate around 50 permanent and direct jobs. The initiative has been declared a Project of Special Interest by the Investment Accelerator of the Community of Madrid, an agency that since 2023 has promoted 17 strategic projects with nearly €9 billion and over 5,000 jobs.
A giant leap in the European digital map
Alcobendas already hosts several data centres, but this campus multiplies the scale. The region is the second in Europe with the most professionals in the sector, and Ferrovial's investment, a giant in construction and infrastructure, adds financial and logistical muscle. The goal is to consolidate Madrid as a leading digital hub.
The Community of Madrid seeks a double dividend: civil works will boost local SMEs and the ripple effect on digital training will be significant. Ayuso linked the project to the digitalisation of public services, mentioning the Virtual Health Card as an example of innovation that "is saving many lives."
Qualified jobs and energy challenges
The 50 positions in the first phase are highly specialised technical roles, which require profiles with high qualifications. The real challenge, however, lies in energy supply. The concentration of data centres north of Madrid has already raised alarms among electricity network operators.
The real challenge is not the billion: it is to accelerate energy supply without blowing fuses in northern Madrid.
The Investment Accelerator shortens timelines, but the execution and financial risk rest entirely with Ferrovial. Unlike Catalonia, which opted for a public co-investment system in its Cerdanyola project, the Community of Madrid is limited to expediting permits.
Local impact and immediate future
For the residents of Alcobendas, the project represents an injection of economic activity and the arrival of quality jobs, although the initial positions are limited. Excavators can already enter the plot, although the first stone is more symbolic than physical. The first phase does not have a specific completion date, but all permits are ready to begin.
The figures from the Accelerator—eleven of the seventeen major projects are data centres—reflect a determined commitment, but also a technological monoculture that is not without risks. An oversupply of capacity or a sudden regulatory shift in the energy market could leave megawatts hanging. For now, Madrid wants to lead the European data map, although for that, it needs to ensure that the power never runs out.
You may also like
