SINES 4.0 (Sines Data Center)
Status: Under Construction/Ongoing Phased Development | Location: Sines, Portugal (ZILS - Sines Industrial and Logistics Area)
Project Overview
The SINES 4.0 Data Centre Campus project, developed by Start Campus, is poised to become the largest and most sustainable hyperscale data centre hub in Europe. Located in the Sines Industrial and Logistics Area (ZILS), the project is a massive, multi-phase development designed to eventually host a total IT capacity of 1.2 GW (Gigawatts). This immense scale positions it as a critical piece of global digital infrastructure, specifically targeting the demand from hyperscalers (like major cloud providers) and organisations requiring massive, AI-ready computing power.
The strategic location of Sines, on Portugal’s Atlantic coast, is a key differentiator. It provides the campus with direct, ultra-low latency access to several high-capacity subsea fibre optic cables, including the EllaLink cable connecting to South America and the 2Africa cable connecting Europe, Africa, and Asia. This connectivity makes the campus a highly attractive gateway for data traffic between continents.
A core focus of SINES 4.0 is sustainability. The facility is designed to run entirely on 100% renewable energy, sourced through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with local solar and wind farms, aligning with the industry's shift toward decarbonization. Furthermore, the campus innovatively utilises seawater cooling by leveraging existing, decommissioned power plant infrastructure, which drastically reduces the need for fresh water, a major environmental concern for data centres globally. The facility is targeting the highly resilient Tier IV standard, ensuring maximum uptime and reliability for critical workloads. The project’s phased buildout, which commenced in 2023, is set to deliver the first operational capacity by the late 2020s, with a full estimated completion timeline extending into the early 2030s.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | SINES 4.0 (Sines Data Center) |
| Location | Sines, Portugal (ZILS - Sines Industrial and Logistics Area) |
| Status | Under Construction/Ongoing Phased Development |
| Commissioning | Phase 1 is targeted for commissioning (estimated around 2027/2028 based on similar megaprojects) |
| Total IT Load | Up to 1.2 GW |
| Total Capacity | Total Campus Capacity (1.2 GW IT Load) |
| Tier Level | Targeting Tier IV standards for multiple facilities |
| Project Type | Hyperscale, Carrier-Neutral, Sustainable Colocation Campus |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
|---|
| City Name | Sines |
| Population | 14,200 inhabitants in 2021 |
| Urban Agglomeration | 14,238 inhabitants |
| City GDP | current GDP data for Sines as an individual city is not publicly available in standard economic reports |
| Per Capita Income | per capita purchasing power and highest monthly income for employed workers. |
| City Tier | Key industrial and port city; strategic hub for digital infrastructure. |
| Key Strengths | Strategic geographical location (Atlantic coast), existing power infrastructure, access to subsea cables, industrial land availability. |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Developer / Operator | Start Campus |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | Not explicitly named; involves local power grid and water utilities |
| Construction Contractor | Not explicitly named publicly for the entire campus |
| MEP Engineering | Not explicitly named publicly |
| Network Connectivity | Direct connection to high-capacity subsea cables (e.g., EllaLink, 2Africa) connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas. |
| Power Infrastructure | Direct access to the national high-tension grid; adjacent to a decommissioned coal power plant offering pre-existing infrastructure access. |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
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| Power Capacity | Up to 1.2 GW |
| UPS Redundancy | Up to 1.2 GW |
| Cooling System | Seawater cooling utilizing the cold water intake/outflow infrastructure of the decommissioned power plant, reducing water consumption and energy use. |
| Connectivity | Ultra-low latency, high-capacity fibre, direct link to major intercontinental subsea cables. |
| PUE Target | Targeting industry-leading low PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness), though a specific number is often proprietary. |
| Energy Mix | 100% Renewable Energy (Direct Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with solar and wind farms). |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Announcement | Late 2021 / Early 2022 |
| Construction Start | Phased construction started in 2023 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | Targeted for 2027 or 2028 |
| Full Buildout | Estimated by 2030-2035 (phased) |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
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| Total Investment | Expected to be in the billions of euros for the full build-out. |
| Funding | Private equity and project-specific financing. |