How do you see the data center sector in Spain?

The data center sector in Spain is undergoing a period of great expansion and is uniquely positioned to consolidate its position as the technological hub of southern Europe. Our strategic geographical position connects us through submarine cables with the USA, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, which reinforces the global interconnection. In addition, the high penetration of renewable energies - solar and wind - and the deployment of storage solutions such as BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) strengthen sustainability and energy resilience. In addition, the availability of space and competitive energy prices make the country a very attractive destination for investment in digital infrastructure.

What do you see as the major challenges facing the industry?

The biggest challenge is to manage unprecedented exponential growth in an orderly and sustainable manner. At Data4 we face it with an architecture by design that allows us to build infrastructures from scratch in a modular, fast and customized way, scaling with agility without sacrificing quality or sustainability. Energy efficiency is another key challenge: in the last decade we have reduced consumption by around 20% and achieved a PUE of 1.25 in new facilities thanks to optimized design and the use of 100% renewable energy.

Finally, artificial intelligence adds pressure on processing capacity, but also offers opportunities: we apply it to analyze consumption, optimize cooling and improve operation. We also promote innovative projects such as the recovery of waste heat for urban use or its transformation into biomass, moving towards a biocircular model.

How is the increasingly pressing concern for sustainability affecting data centers?

Sustainability has become a central focus, given that data centers already account for 16% of global digital emissions. At Data4, we work in the three areas defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol: we reduce direct emissions (Scope 1), consume 100% renewable electricity (Scope 2) and act on the indirect emissions of the value chain (Scope 3).

Since 2012, we have been using low-emission concrete, reducing our carbon footprint by 13% and, by 2023 alone, an additional 2.3% per MW built. In addition, we incorporate life cycle analysis in design and operation to measure and minimize the impact from construction to operation.

What projects and measures is Data4 putting in place to address this situation?

Since 2020, we have systematically applied life-cycle analysis in the design of our sites and we use environmental scorecards that monitor the carbon footprint throughout the value chain. We are driving the energy transition through renewable energy purchase agreements (PPAs): in France with Eurowatt (80 GWh wind) and Photosol (70 GWh solar), and in Italy with Edison Energia to cover 10% of our consumption with solar (500 GWh per year).

In parallel, we develop circular economy projects such as the biocircular center in Marcoussis (France), where, together with the Paris-Saclay University, we reuse waste heat to cultivate microalgae that capture CO₂ and generate biomass for the agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. With these initiatives, Data4 is no longer simply a digital hosting provider, but a true architect of the sustainable digital future.