Amazon Web Services (AWS) is solidifying its position as a leading provider of data center infrastructure in Spain. With a planned total investment of 15.7 billion euros over the next decade, the tech giant is massively expanding its operations in Aragon. The latest move: an investment of almost 1.5 million euros for the expansion of the power grid to its fifth data center in the region, specifically in the Walqa Technology Park near Huesca.
Massive Investments Secure Aragon’s Digital Hub
Anyone currently traveling on the A-23 near Huesca might witness the extensive construction work. Workers are laying a new underground conduit for a 1.4-kilometer power line that will eventually run under the A-23 motorway and the N-330. This crucial infrastructure measure, detailed in the Official Gazette of Aragon, will connect the Plhus substation to the future AWS site in Walqa, supplying 15 kV of power to the data center.
The new AWS data center in Walqa will cover an area of approximately 70 hectares. Construction work on the former poultry farm began in late April. Amazon plans an investment of 714.6 million euros in this complex. This center in Huesca is one of five new data centers that AWS will establish in Aragon, complementing the three already existing locations. The other four new data centers are being built in El Burgo de Ebro (two) and Villanueva de Gállego (two), both provinces of Zaragoza.
Aragon as a Digital Hub in the Crosshairs of Global Tech Giants
Aragon’s selection as a strategic location for these massive investments is no coincidence. The region offers an abundance of cost-effective renewable energy, ample available land, and a business-friendly regulatory environment. These factors have made Aragon an attractive digital hub in Southern Europe.
The existing three AWS locations, which already form the EU-South-2 region, include a data center in Walqa Technology Park (Huesca), two data centers in El Burgo de Ebro (Zaragoza), and two more data centers in Villanueva de Gállego (also Zaragoza). With the five new buildings and the associated power and fiber optic lines, AWS will expand its presence to a total of 354 hectares in Aragon. All these data centers will be connected by a dense fiber optic network and operate as a single, powerful “AWS Region.”
Spain in the Sights of Tech Giants: A Race for Data Centers
It’s not just Amazon that’s expanding massively in Spain. Other global technology companies also see the country’s potential. Microsoft has announced investments of 6.69 billion euros in Zaragoza and 1.95 billion euros in Madrid, where Oracle and IBM are also expanding their presence.
One of the most recent arrivals is Meta, which announced an investment of over 750 million euros in a 190-hectare campus in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo) at the end of 2024. Here too, the availability of land and access to renewable energies are crucial factors for site selection. Spain is thus increasingly establishing itself as an important hub for Europe’s digital infrastructure.
