Microsoft Zaragoza Data Center Campus: €6.7B Hyperscale Cloud Hub Aragon Spain
Status: Permitted / Under Construction & Site Preparation | Location: Rda. Externa Anillar (Z-40) 50007 Zaragoza Spain
Project Overview
The AWS Pecos County Data Center (Building B) is a major compute block within Amazon Web Services’ planned off-grid hyperscale mega-campus in Pecos County, West Texas, designed to support the rapidly expanding infrastructure requirements of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, high-performance computing, and other data-intensive workloads. Developed as part of Amazon’s strategy to secure dedicated large-scale computing capacity, Building B is specifically engineered to address one of the most significant challenges facing hyperscale data center development in Texas: limited grid availability and lengthy transmission interconnection queues within the ERCOT market. Instead of depending entirely on conventional utility-grid infrastructure, the facility is designed around dedicated behind-the-meter energy generation associated with the GW Ranch project site, creating a direct power architecture capable of supporting the substantial electricity requirements of next-generation AI and cloud computing systems. This approach can provide greater control over energy availability while reducing exposure to regional transmission constraints that can delay conventional data center projects. Building B is also designed around the extreme thermal requirements of modern AI accelerators, incorporating custom liquid-cooling architectures capable of supporting high-density GPU and accelerator deployments. Direct liquid cooling enables efficient heat removal from densely concentrated computing equipment, allowing higher rack power densities while maintaining reliable operating temperatures and sustained performance. The facility reflects a broader industry shift toward integrated AI infrastructure, where power generation, electrical distribution, cooling systems, computing capacity, and site development are planned as a unified platform. Its West Texas location provides access to expansive land resources and a large-scale energy environment suitable for hyperscale expansion. By combining dedicated behind-the-meter generation, off-grid-oriented infrastructure, advanced liquid cooling, and AI-focused compute architecture, AWS Pecos County Building B represents an emerging model for developing massive computing facilities beyond traditional grid-dependent frameworks. The facility is positioned to support large-scale AI model training, cloud services, machine learning, and other computationally intensive applications requiring substantial power and high-density infrastructure.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | Microsoft Zaragoza Data Center Campus: €6.7B Hyperscale Cloud Hub Aragon Spain |
| Location | Rda. Externa Anillar (Z-40) 50007 Zaragoza Spain |
| Status | Permitted / Under Construction & Site Preparation |
| Commissioning | Phased Delivery Target (Phase 1 Target 2026–2027 / 10-Year Multi-Site Buildout) |
| Total IT Load | ~300.0 MW Critical IT Power Capacity (Scaled Campus Capacity across Region) |
| Total Capacity | ~143.4 Hectares Total Land Area across Primary Zaragoza Sites (~59 ha at Puerto Venecia, ~84.4 ha at La Muela) |
| Tier Level | Tier III / Tier IV Equivalent Fault-Tolerant Enterprise Architecture |
| Project Type | Purpose-Built Master-Planned Hyperscale, Azure Cloud Region & AI Compute Infrastructure |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
|---|
| City Name | Zaragoza |
| Population | 675,000 |
| Urban Agglomeration | 800,000 |
| City GDP | €20 billion |
| Per Capita Income | Roughly €23,000 per capita. |
| City Tier | Tier 2 city in Spain |
| Key Strengths | Strong industrial base, especially in automotive, logistics, and renewable energy sectors. |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
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| Developer / Operator | Microsoft Corporation |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | Government of Aragón, Red Eléctrica de España (REE), Local Renewable Energy Providers |
| Construction Contractor | Leading European Mission-Critical General Contractors & Engineering Firms |
| MEP Engineering | Microsoft Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) Global Engineering Teams |
| Network Connectivity | Dual path-diverse subterranean dark fiber vaults, dedicated Meet-Me-Rooms (MMRs), ultra-low latency direct links to major Iberian internet exchanges (MADIX, CATNIX) and European cross-border fiber routes. |
| Power Infrastructure | Direct high-voltage transmission grid interconnections, static 2N / N+1 uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, automated transfer switchgear (ATS), and multi-megawatt emergency back-up diesel generators with on-site fuel reserves. |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Power Capacity | ~350 MVA Grid Capacity Allocation across Planned Substation Additions |
| UPS Redundancy | Concurrently Maintainable 2N / N+1 UPS Architecture |
| Cooling System | Closed-loop adiabatic chilled water systems and direct air economization designed for zero-water or low-water usage, with Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling (DLC) readiness for high-density AI clusters. |
| Connectivity | Sub-millisecond optical fiber links connecting Zaragoza campus nodes to Microsoft's Madrid Cloud Region and major trans-European backbones. |
| PUE Target | < 1.20 Annualized Operational Design PUE |
| Energy Mix | 100% Renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPAs) utilizing local wind and solar assets across Aragón, advancing Microsoft's 2030 Carbon Negative objective. |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Announcement | 2023–2024 |
| Construction Start | 2025–2026 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | Target 2026–2027 |
| Full Buildout | Long-Term Phased Campus Expansion (2026–2034) |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Total Investment | ~€6,690,000,000 EUR (~$7.2 Billion USD Total Multi-Year Commitment) |
| Funding | Corporate Capital Expenditure (Microsoft Corporation) |