US company Atlas Renewable is reportedly aiming to develop data centers in Brazil.

The company plans to develop at least three data centers at the Port of Açu industrial complex, located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, BNamericas reported.

The projects have been submitted individually to the Ministry of Mines and Energy for evaluation for connection to the electricity grid, through local subsidiary Atlas Comercializadora de Energia.

Atlas was acquired in 2022 by the US investment group Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), previously owned by the British fund Actis. GIP is now owned by BlackRock.

These projects represent the company’s first direct investments in the data center space. Atlas already has energy supply contracts with companies in the sector, such as OData in Chile and Tecto/V.tal in Brazil, among others.

With this initiative, Atlas joins the group of companies in the energy trading and generation sector – such as Serena, GP Participações, BEP Energia, and Casa dos Ventos – that have been expanding operations beyond supply contracts into investing in their own data center projects.

Atlas is also among the organizations interested in the Port of Açu industrial complex. Ascenty, one of the main data center operators in Latin America, has a project at the unit located in São João da Barra.

In August 2024, Prumo Logística, which is responsible for developing the Port of Açu complex, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Andrade Gutierrez group to make hyperscale data center projects feasible at the site. The agreement was reached with the Vertin construction company, a joint venture formed by Consag Engenharia – a subsidiary of Andrade Gutierrez – and CA3M Engenharia.

According to Eugênio Figueiredo, CEO of Porto do Açu, the group had been evaluating the data center market for some time.

Although the distance from major consumer centers represented an initial challenge, factors such as the availability of space, ease of construction, and the absence of interference in the surroundings proved to be advantageous for applications such as artificial intelligence and data storage.

Eugênio Figueiredo also highlighted the availability of fresh and reusable water for cooling systems, local power generation, and proximity to submarine cables as factors that give the Port of Açu complex competitive advantages. The presence of energy sources on site – such as natural gas, solar, and, in the future, offshore wind – together with the existence of generators, is a draw.

Founded in 2017, Atlas has some 7.5GW of renewable capacity in operation or development across Latin America, with the majority of projects in Brazil.