Start Campus this month announced the award of additional power by REN, the Portuguese transmission system operator, to its flagship data center campus project known as SINES DC, located just south of Lisbon.
The additional power expansion brings the total IT capacity secured for the SINES DC site to a walloping 1.2 GW -- which will make Start Campus proprietor of the largest colocation site in Europe with fully secured grid power.
The project's phased development enables Start Campus' continued support of the development of the Sines region while contributing to renewable energy developments in Portugal, notes the company.
The new power allocation follows a commitment by REN to make significant investments to extend and develop the utility transmission network in the high-demand area of Sines.
Sustainability Milestones
Employing seawater cooling technology to minimize environmental impact and improve efficiency, Start Campus contends the SINES DC site embodies new industry standards for sustainability, providing for a bracing PUE [Power Usage Effectiveness] rating of 1.1, and a commitment to 100% renewable energy usage and net zero status by 2030.
“Securing this additional grid capacity marks a significant milestone for Start Campus," said Rob Dunn, CEO of Start Campus.
Dunn added, "The scale of SINES DC, coupled with our unique seawater cooling solution, creates an unprecedented offering that sets new standards for the industry. I am proud to deliver a solution that sustainably meets the evolving needs of our customers.”
Maximum Optionality
Start Campus says SINES DC already has land secured for the full campus, and provides "maximum optionality" for customers via powered shell, turn-key and build-to-suit data center options.
The campus will consist of six buildings (SIN01-06), with the first facility nearing completion and expected to be operational by Q4 2024. Subsequent data centers will be constructed sequentially, with full campus operation anticipated by 2030.
SIN01, the site's first building with an initially proposed 14 MW of IT capacity, is set to be operational by Q4 2024.
In direct response to the requirements of its customers and through the use of liquid cooling technologies, Start Campus reports this flagship data center's capacity is now being expanded to 26 MW.
Numbering SIN02 through SIN06, each subsequent building on the campus will support up to 240 MW of IT capacity, with SIN02 ready for service by 2026. All buildings are expected to be operational by 2030.
Economic and Technological Impacts
The economic and technological impacts of the project are not small. Once operational, the SINES DC project is projected to deliver a €1.2 billion annual boost to the Portuguese economy, equivalent to 0.4% of the country’s GDP. This influx of prosperity will solidify Portugal’s position as a cornerstone in the global energy transition.
Furthermore, SINES DC is ideally positioned as a global connectivity hub able capitalize on Portugal’s unique geographical advantage, ensuring connectivity through strategic subsea and terrestrial data networks (strategic in facing the Atlantic Ocean, and by not intersecting with either the areas of Red Sea or Russia, where submarine fiber-optic cables now face an ongoing threat from acts of war and terrorism).
Meanhwhile, the project has already created 700 construction jobs and is expected to support approximately 9,000 jobs upon completion, driving local and national prosperity.
Start Campus also emphasizes that its substantial investment in the project, totaling near €8.5 billion, was made without relying on public funds, indicative of a robust and self-sustaining business model.
Headwinds No More
Depending on perspective, the new announcement from Portugal's Start Campus seems to represent either a "fresh start" or a happy ending for the SINES DC project.
Previous executives from Start Campus resigned last year under a far-reaching bribery and corruption probe by the Portuguese government focused on the project. That investigation led to the arrest and resignation of two data center executives, the arrest of government officials, and the resignation of Portugal’s prime minister.
Afonso Salema had been CEO and Rui Oliveira Neves had been chief legal and sustainability officers of Start Campus. Both were among five arrested on charges related to corruption and bribery. Within days, a judge dropped corruption charges against all who had been arrested, but not before the two data center executives resigned their positions.
Contiguous reporting by Reuters’ Catarina Demony indicated that the corruption probe was focused not just on the SINES DC project, but also involved lithium mining and green-hydrogen production stakes.
