US real estate developer Panattoni has purchased a 60,000-square-metre site in Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), twenty kilometres from the Catalan capital, where the plan is to set up a data centre. The first phase will see construction begin by the end of 2023, and will cover an area of approximately 42,000 square metres.

The new data centre will involve an estimated investment of 300 million euros, and the US company claims that it will be the largest to be built in Catalonia in the near future. The company says that the facility will be a technology campus with a total of 68,000 square metres and an installed capacity of 42 megawatts.

Engineering and design
Quark, a company which specialises in this type of facility, will be responsible for the engineering and design of this data centre. The process for the selection of the operator and lessee will be led by Colliers in collaboration with Telam Partners.

Panattoni Iberia’s Managing Director Gustavo Cardozo said, “We’re very excited to be moving forward with this project, which will surely be the largest data centre on the market to be built in Catalonia. With our experience in industrial property development and the expertise of our partners and collaborators, we’re confident that it will be a success. This project ratifies the continuity of Panattoni's development and investment plans in Catalonia and Spain”.

Prime location
Among Panattoni's collaborators involved in finding an operator for the facilities, José María Guilleuma, Director of Colliers Data Centre, said that “the project designed by Panattoni in Cerdanyola confirms the position of Barcelona’s metropolitan area   as a prime location for data centres in the Mediterranean. The project’s location is strategically significant, and will contribute to expanding digital infrastructure throughout Southern Europe and North Africa. Barcelona is poised to be a key player in the data centre market”.

On behalf of the other partner company, Managing Director Silvia Sorribas said, “At Telam Partners we’re happy to be collaborating with leading global brands like Panattoni and Colliers on this large-scale project. Due to its geographical location and institutional stability, Spain is positioning itself as one of the key destinations for strategic investment in Europe. Due to its size and impact, this data centre in Cerdanyola is in line with our vision”.

^{Photo: Panattoni}