Uruguay signs a US$5.7 billion data centre investment with Spain’s Solaria

Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi signed an agreement on Wednesday with Spanish company Solaria Energía y Medio Ambiente to develop a data centre campus with a capacity of up to 500 megawatts. The investment, valued at US$5.7 billion, represents the largest in Uruguay's history. The project, set to be built in two phases, will allocate US$5.5 billion to data centres and US$200 million to a 350-megawatt solar plant.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with the first phase consisting of 200 megawatts of data centres in Canelones and the solar plant in Florida. The second phase will see an additional 300 megawatts in San José.

The government described the investment as a significant step for the country, while the opposition has raised concerns about Solaria's financial capacity and the number of jobs the project will create. The data centre will initially focus on cloud services and will employ low-water cooling systems. The company has been operating in Uruguay for nearly a decade.

Orsi hailed the agreement as a signal to the world, crediting state policies maintained by successive governments. The project is expected to generate 3,100 jobs during construction and 1,500 permanent positions. However, the opposition National Party plans to summon Industry Minister Fernanda Cardona to Parliament, questioning the validity of the employment figures and Solaria's financial capacity.

Solaria's opposition board member, Darío Castiglioni, has requested the agreement's documentation, including technical and legal reports. UTE's vice president, Roberto Bentancor, emphasized that confidentiality was maintained due to other potential offers for Solaria.