Apto Drives US$2.3bn Madrid Data Centre Building Programme
A major construction project is taking shape in Madrid as Apto prepares to develop what could become the largest data centre campus in the region.
The €2bn (US$2.3bn) development represents a significant brownfield regeneration opportunity and marks one of the most substantial digital infrastructure construction projects currently planned in Southern Europe.
The site, spanning 195,000 m² in Fuenlabrada approximately 14 km from Madrid's city centre, previously housed an industrial bottling plant.
The location has been cleared and prepared for development, offering construction teams a substantial brownfield site ready for transformation into a modern hyperscale facility.
Building a 240 MW facility
The construction programme envisions a campus comprising five data centres with a combined capacity of up to 240 MW.
This scale of development requires extensive civil engineering work, electrical infrastructure and mechanical systems to support the power and cooling demands of modern data centre operations.
Initial site preparation work has already been completed, including the construction of an on-site 40 MW substation designed to support the first phase of operations.
This electrical infrastructure represents a critical foundation for the facility, providing the power distribution capacity necessary for data centre operations.
Apto has now progressed to the second phase of development, representing 122 MW of capacity.
“Madrid has quickly established itself as one of Europe’s most dynamic digital hubs and our investment here reflects both the scale of demand and the strength of the region’s long-term fundamentals," says Russell Poole, CEO of Apto.
“This landmark campus will give hyperscale customers the capacity, resilience and sustainability they need to grow, while delivering lasting benefits for the local economy and community.
“It is a major step in Apto’s mission to build world-class, sustainable infrastructure across Europe’s leading cloud regions.”
The construction approach reflects standard industry practice for phased data centre development, allowing operators to bring capacity online incrementally in response to market demand whilst managing construction costs and timelines.
The power strategy for the project targets 50% of total energy consumption across the first two phases to come from 100% green energy sources.
Regional infrastructure advantages
Madrid's position as a location for data centre construction has strengthened in recent years, supported by infrastructure connectivity and energy characteristics that could influence construction timelines and operational efficiency.
The region benefits from strong fibre and subsea cable connectivity linking the Iberian Peninsula with international digital networks.
The area also demonstrates high levels of renewable energy generation, particularly solar power, alongside competitive energy costs compared with other European markets.
These factors could influence both construction costs and long-term operational economics for facilities in the region.
The Fuenlabrada site offers specific advantages for large-scale construction.
The 195,000 m² area provides sufficient space for the planned five-building campus plus associated infrastructure including electrical substations, cooling systems, access roads and landscaping.
Apto has partnered with Arnaiz, a Spanish urban planning and real estate development firm with more than 50 years of experience in the country.
This partnership could prove significant for navigating planning approvals, building regulations and local construction sector relationships necessary for a project of this scale.
The project has received support from regional and municipal institutions including the Comunidad de Madrid, Invest in Madrid and the Fuenlabrada municipality.
The investment also receives support from the European Union through the InvestEU Partnership.
Brownfield regeneration and site development
The construction project represents a brownfield regeneration development designed to transform a former industrial site.
“It’s a fundamental project in Fuenlabrada, in an area that was a completely disused industrial zone, which is going to be turned into a data centre that will provide support for cloud services as well as artificial intelligence, which are so necessary to attract high economic value companies to the Community of Madrid,” says Rocío Albert, Councillor for Economy, Taxation and Employment of the Comunidad de Madrid.
This approach offers potential advantages over greenfield development, including existing infrastructure connections and reduced environmental impact from developing previously used land.
Plans for the site include significant landscaping works, with thousands of trees and shrubs expected to be planted across the campus.
Public walking paths and recreational areas will also be included as part of the development, requiring coordination between different construction phases to ensure public access features integrate with operational security requirements.
The project's design incorporates sustainable construction practices, renewable energy generation and mobility initiatives aimed at encouraging low-emission transport options for employees and visitors.
The campus development could deliver economic benefits for the region through job creation and local business activity during both construction and operational phases.
According to industry association Spain DC, each euro invested in data centre infrastructure generates more than seven euros in economic value for local communities.
The construction programme for the Fuenlabrada campus represents one of the largest data centre building projects currently planned in the Madrid region.
