Another large-scale data center campus is set ot be developed in Aragón, Spain.

The SAMCA Group is working on the construction of a large data center campus in Luceni, Zaragoza, under the ‘Green IT Aragón’ project, with a planned investment of €2.6 billion ($3bn).

The plans, first announced in April, have been approved as a Project of General Interest of Aragon (PIGA).

The project will include three data centers, powered by renewable energy generated locally through seven wind farms in operation in Luceni and nearby municipalities such as Pedrola, Plasencia de Jalón, and Rueda de Jalón.

Work is due to start on the first 131MW phase of development next year, launching in 2028. Construction on the campus will last until 2030, with the potential to scale to 300MW.

Founded in 1967, SAMCA is a Spanish mining and materials firm that also has investments in renewable energy and agriculture. It has a number of real estate and industrial logistics businesses as well.

While Madrid and Barcelona are the traditional major data center markets in Spain, the Aragón region has become a hub for large-scale developments.

Microsoft has a major presence around Zaragoza, with multiple campuses in development. At full build-out, the company could invest more than €10bn ($10.4bn) in the region. Amazon also has a Spanish cloud region comprised of three data center sites around Zaragoza. QTS, Box2bit, Vantage, Tillion, and ACS are also developing campuses around Zaragoza.

Zaragoza was recently the scene of anti-data center protests led by local residents against such rapid development.