Merlin Properties Lisbon AI Data Center Campus: 180MW Sustainable AI Hub
Status: Under Construction / Active Phase 1 Development | Location: Castanheira do Ribatejo, Vila Franca de Xira, Greater Lisbon Area, Portugal
Project Overview
The MERLIN Properties Lisbon AI Data Center Campus is a next-generation, carbon-neutral hyperscale digital infrastructure development located in Vila Franca de Xira, approximately 20 minutes north of Lisbon’s Parque das Nações business district. Developed in partnership with Edged Energy, the campus is designed to deliver 180 MW of critical IT capacity across five purpose-built facilities, creating one of Southern Europe’s most advanced platforms for artificial intelligence, hyperscale cloud services, and high-performance computing (HPC). Purpose-engineered for next-generation AI workloads, the campus supports rack densities of up to 70 kW using air cooling and up to 200 kW per rack through integrated plug-and-play liquid cooling, enabling customers to deploy the latest GPU-based infrastructure efficiently. The facility utilizes ThermalWorks’ innovative waterless cooling technology, achieving an industry-leading Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of approximately 1.15 while eliminating the need for local water consumption, significantly reducing its environmental impact. Powered by renewable energy and designed to meet ambitious sustainability goals, the carrier-neutral campus also provides resilient fiber connectivity to major European network hubs and transatlantic subsea cable systems, offering low-latency connectivity between Europe, North America, Africa, and Latin America. Combined with scalable infrastructure, advanced security, and energy-efficient operations, the Lisbon AI Data Center Campus establishes Portugal as a leading green digital gateway for AI innovation, cloud expansion, and global digital transformation.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
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| Project Name | Merlin Properties Lisbon AI Data Center Campus: 180MW Sustainable AI Hub |
| Location | Castanheira do Ribatejo, Vila Franca de Xira, Greater Lisbon Area, Portugal |
| Status | Under Construction / Active Phase 1 Development |
| Commissioning | Phase 1 Go-Live: 2027 / Multi-Phase Buildout (5 Data Centers total) |
| Total IT Load | 180 MW Critical IT Load (scalable up to 300 MW long-term) |
| Total Capacity | 180 MW Total Critical Power Capacity across 5 purpose-built data center facilities |
| Tier Level | Tier III Equivalent Architecture / OCP Ready / Carbon-Neutral & ISO Standards |
| Project Type | Purpose-Built Greenfield Hyperscale, Waterless AI-Ready Colocation & Sustainable Cloud Hub |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
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| City Name | Vila Franca de Xira |
| Population | ~137,500 (Municipality population) |
| Urban Agglomeration | ~2.9 million (Lisbon Metropolitan Area) |
| City GDP | Part of Lisbon Metropolitan economy (approx. €70+ billion) |
| Per Capita Income | ~€35,000 |
| City Tier | Tier 2 – Industrial, Logistics & Emerging Digital Hub |
| Key Strengths | Strategic location northeast of Lisbon; strong logistics and industrial base; proximity to Lisbon Airport; excellent road and rail connectivity; access to the Tagus River; growing commercial development; connection to Lisbon's technology and business ecosystem; suitable location for industrial parks and digital infrastructure expansion. |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
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| Developer / Operator | MERLIN Properties |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | E-Redes / REN (Portuguese Electric Grid Authorities) |
| Construction Contractor | Specialized Iberian Mission-Critical EPC Contractors |
| MEP Engineering | Edged Energy & MERLIN Properties In-House Global Technical Infrastructure Teams |
| Network Connectivity | Carrier-neutral platform with dual subterranean path-diverse fiber entrance vaults; redundant Meet-Me-Rooms (MMRs); direct subterranean optical dark fiber backhaul linking to Lisbon carrier hubs and Atlantic subsea cable landing stations (EllaLink, Equiano, Grace Hopper, Nuvem, 2Africa). |
| Power Infrastructure | Dual high-voltage grid connections supplied by the Portuguese electrical utility network, static distributed 2N / N+1 uninterruptible power supply (UPS) modules, automated switchgear, and ultra-clean backup emergency generator arrays running on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel. |
Technical Specifications
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| Power Capacity | 180 MW Secured Utility Power Allocation (scalable to 300 MW) |
| UPS Redundancy | 2N / N+1 Distributed Redundant Static UPS Architecture |
| Cooling System | ThermalWorks high-efficiency dry cooling closed-loop system, requiring 0 water usage, Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling (DLC) readiness for high-density GPUs, and automated BMS environmental controls. |
| Connectivity | Carrier-neutral host offering direct low-latency cloud express on-ramps and cross-connect options across European and transatlantic networks. |
| PUE Target | < 1.15 Annualized Operational Design PUE |
| Energy Mix | 100% Certified Renewable Energy Sourcing (Wind and Solar PPAs). |
Milestones
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| Announcement | Q4 2024 |
| Construction Start | Q4 2024 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | Target 2027 |
| Full Buildout | Active Multi-Phase Development |
Investment Details
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| Total Investment | Estimated €1,000,000,000+ EUR Total Campus Capital Expenditure |
| Funding | Corporate Capital Expenditure & Joint Venture Equity Financing by MERLIN Properties & Edged Energy |