• Plans call for two 80MW buildings, each containing eight 10MW IT rooms, for 160MW when the campus is fully developed
  • The proposal is Vapat's first move into data centres, using a site beside its wind farms and near La Mudarra substation

The fact

Spanish wind-power developer Vapat has proposed a data-centre campus in Torrelobatón, Valladolid, with up to 160MW of IT capacity. The project, being developed through DC Mudarra, is undergoing environmental assessment and has not yet moved into construction.

Plans call for two 80MW data-centre buildings, each containing eight IT rooms rated at 10MW. The wider development could occupy close to 250 hectares once supporting infrastructure is included. The site is beside Vapat's San Lorenzo wind farms and near the La Mudarra electrical substation.

Media reports have estimated investment at €1.6 billion to €2 billion, although Vapat has not announced a final figure. The amount would depend on the project's eventual phases and specifications. Environmental approval is still required before construction can proceed.

The assessment

Vapat is moving from developing power assets into developing a large electricity-consuming site. Its existing wind operations give it an established position around Torrelobatón, but that does not mean electricity for the proposed 160MW campus is already secured. A nearby wind farm is not a supply contract, and proximity to a substation does not by itself reserve capacity for the data centre.

The practical task is to turn that location into a power arrangement that can support the planned IT load, then align it with permitting, construction, and customer demand. The project is still in environmental assessment, so those later stages have not yet been demonstrated.

For BTW readers, the important test is whether Vapat can turn its energy-development position into a permitted and contracted power path for the data centre. Until then, its wind assets and grid location strengthen the site proposition but do not make the 160MW campus ready to build.

What to watch

Watch the environmental decision and any firm electricity or grid arrangements for the proposed 160MW load. A final investment decision, construction timetable, and named customer or operating partner would show whether Vapat is moving from site development into execution and how much of the campus is likely to be built first.