Brazil’s Ceará Wins Largest New Export-Zone Investment With Voltalia Data Centre

On August 25, 2026, Brazil's National Council of Export Processing Zones approved a major new investment for Ceará's export zone. A Voltalia-linked data centre was granted an estimated R$181.7 billion (US$35.3 billion) in funding, making it the largest single investment among the country's new export processing zones. This project is part of the Pecém Industrial and Port Complex, which also includes a second mega data centre authorized by the council.

The export processing zones, established in 2007, are duty-free industrial districts designed for firms selling products abroad. Brazil had only two operational zones before this approval, but the new projects are expected to add R$40 billion (US$7.8 billion) annually to Brazilian exports starting in 2029. The five approved projects, which include green steel, biofuels, and green hydrogen, are expected to create around 2,300 jobs during construction and a smaller number of permanent staff positions.

The Voltalia data centre project, which pairs the data center with dedicated renewable energy plants, has been described as a milestone in Voltalia's commitment to becoming a partner for power-hungry digital infrastructure. The company is currently in advanced talks with potential operators for the site, though no technology company has been named as the anchor client at this time.

Ceará's location along the coast, which is 18 submarine fiber cables from Europe and Africa, gives it a significant advantage in terms of connectivity. The state's export zone, which opened in 2013, has already attracted a steel mill as its anchor project. The state's economy is projected to grow by 3.8 percent in 2026, the fastest among all regions in the Northeast.