Start Campus SINES DC Portugal: 1.2GW Sustainable AI Data Center
Status: Operational (SIN01) & Active Multi-Facility Expansion (SIN02–SIN06) | Location: Zona C1.1, ZILS (Industrial and Logistics Zone of Sines), 7520 Sines, Portugal
Project Overview
Start Campus’ SINES DC (SINES 4.0) is Europe’s largest fully secured power colocation campus, strategically located in Sines, Portugal, and designed to become one of the world’s leading hyperscale digital infrastructure developments. Planned to deliver up to 1.2 GW of critical IT capacity across multiple purpose-built facilities (SIN01 to SIN06), the campus is engineered to support global hyperscale cloud providers, artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), large-scale enterprise platforms, and next-generation GPU deployments, including advanced NVIDIA GB300 NVL72-based AI infrastructure. Purpose-built for ultra-high-density computing, the campus combines scalable power delivery with resilient electrical architecture and flexible cooling solutions capable of supporting the increasing thermal demands of AI workloads. A defining feature of SINES DC is its innovative zero-freshwater cooling system, which repurposes seawater infrastructure from a former thermal power plant to provide highly efficient cooling without consuming local freshwater resources. This approach enables the campus to achieve an industry-leading target Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of less than 1.10 and a Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) of 0.0 while significantly reducing environmental impact. Powered by renewable energy and designed to meet the highest sustainability standards, the carrier-neutral campus provides direct connectivity to major international subsea cable systems, including EllaLink, Equiano, 2Africa, and Nuvem, creating a strategic digital gateway linking Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Supported by advanced physical security, continuous infrastructure monitoring, and scalable expansion capabilities, SINES DC serves as a future-ready platform for cloud growth, AI innovation, and global digital transformation.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | Start Campus SINES DC Portugal: 1.2GW Sustainable AI Data Center |
| Location | Zona C1.1, ZILS (Industrial and Logistics Zone of Sines), 7520 Sines, Portugal |
| Status | Operational (SIN01) & Active Multi-Facility Expansion (SIN02–SIN06) |
| Commissioning | SIN01 Go-Live: 2024 / SIN02–SIN06 Target RFS: 2025–2030+ |
| Total IT Load | 1.2 GW (1,200 MW) Critical IT Power Capacity Allocation |
| Total Capacity | 1.2 GW Total Critical IT Load across a multi-building, 60-hectare hyperscale campus footprint |
| Tier Level | Tier III Equivalent Architecture / LEED Gold BD+C Certified (SIN01) / OCP Ready |
| Project Type | Purpose-Built Greenfield Hyperscale, Waterless/Ocean-Cooled AI Colocation & Transatlantic Gateway |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
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| 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
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| Developer / Operator | Start Campus |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | REN (Redes Energéticas Nacionais), EDP, AICEP Global Parques, and Siemens Energy |
| Construction Contractor | Specialized European & Iberian Mission-Critical EPC Contractors |
| MEP Engineering | Start Campus In-House Global Technical Infrastructure & Critical Facilities Engineering Teams |
| Network Connectivity | Carrier-neutral platform with dual subterranean path-diverse fiber entrance vaults; redundant Meet-Me-Rooms (MMRs); direct low-latency dark fiber backhaul to Lisbon carrier hotels and the Sines Subsea Cable Landing Station (Atlantic Hub linking EllaLink, Equiano, 2Africa, Grace Hopper, Nuvem). |
| Power Infrastructure | Dual high-voltage grid connections supplied by REN, static distributed 2N / N+1 uninterruptible power supply (UPS) modules, Siemens Energy power transformers, automated switchgear, and backup diesel generator arrays running on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) renewable biofuel. |
Technical Specifications
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| Power Capacity | 1.2 GW Secured Utility Power Allocation |
| UPS Redundancy | 2N / N+1 Distributed Redundant Static UPS Architecture |
| Cooling System | Proprietary closed-loop ocean-water cooling heat-exchange system requiring 0 freshwater usage (WUE = 0.0), Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling (DLC) readiness supporting 100+ kW per rack, and automated BMS environmental controls. |
| Connectivity | Carrier-neutral access with direct low-latency cloud express on-ramps and cross-connect options across transatlantic, European, and African subsea fiber corridors. |
| PUE Target | < 1.10 Annualized Operational Design PUE |
| Energy Mix | 100% Certified Carbon-Free Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind, and Hydro PPAs via EDP). |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
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| Announcement | 2021 |
| Construction Start | April 2022 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | Operational (SIN01 - 37.5 MW / 2024) |
| Full Buildout | Active Multi-Phase Development through 2030 (1.2 GW total campus capacity) |
Investment Details
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| Total Investment | Estimated €3,500,000,000 to €5,000,000,000+ EUR Total Campus Capital Expenditure |
| Funding | Corporate Capital Expenditure & Infrastructure Equity Financing by Davidson Kempner & Pioneer Point Partners |