Digital Realty opens first Barcelona data centre

This data center reflects Digital Realty’s commitment to support the development of the Mediterranean into a global digital infrastructure hub for next-generation technologies, including AI and cloud computing, and reinforces Barcelona’s role as a critical interconnection point alongside Madrid, Marseille, Athens, Heraklion, Rome and Lisbon.

The new data center, with 14 MW of total planned capacity, is designed to support connectivity with a broad range of network providers and is strategically located near the intersection of major global connectivity routes. BCN1 enables low-latency connectivity between the Americas, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Barcelona complements Digital Realty’s established Marseille campus, enhancing network diversity and resilience across the region. Subsea cables landing in Barcelona are interconnected with Marseille, while cross-border fiber links to Marseille and Frankfurt further strengthen Barcelona’s role in regional and international traffic flows.

BCN1 supports the continued digitalization of the Catalan economy, as it joins Digital Realty’s existing data center offerings on the Iberian Peninsula. This includes the recently announced data center in Lisbon and the four facilities currently operating in Madrid. Altogether, Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon make up the most interconnected regional platform on the peninsula, further enhancing Digital Realty’s leading EMEA footprint.

“Barcelona is emerging as a world-class digital gateway to the Mediterranean. Digital Realty’s Barcelona Campus puts us right at the heart of that transformation, built to the highest sustainability standards. Together with our campuses in Madrid and Lisbon, we are proud to offer our customers a highly interconnected and environmentally responsible regional platform on the Iberian Peninsula”, said Fabrice Coquio, Senior Vice President, Managing Director, Europe Med, Digital Realty.

Barcelona is rapidly emerging as a key digital infrastructure hub in Southwestern Europe, supported by sustained data center market growth, rising investment in network connectivity, and the expansion of high-capacity subsea cable systems. Strategic landings—including 2Africa and Medusa in Barcelona, alongside Marea, Grace Hopper, and EllaLink elsewhere on the Iberian Peninsula—are strengthening the region’s connectivity footprint. Barcelona’s data center capacity is expected to scale meaningfully through 2030, reflecting continued demand growth and its expanding role in the region.

The opening of BCN1 further extends PlatformDIGITAL®, Digital Realty’s global data center platform, enabling international and local businesses to rapidly scale their AI deployments and data localizations in a sustainable manner. As a signatory to the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, Digital Realty designed BCN1 to meet and exceed the industry's high standards in energy efficiency, incorporating advanced power and cooling architectures, renewable energy procurement, and back-up generators fuelled by HVO100 — a biodiesel of renewable origin — reinforcing its commitment towards decarbonisation at every layer of its operations and balancing the high demand for AI-ready facilities with sustainability.