Merlin Properties, a sponsor of the event, discussed their growing activity in the realm of data centers and their sustainability efforts. The new high-tech data center campus, located in Vila Franca de Xira near Lisbon, will feature a water-free cooling system and ultra-efficient operations designed to meet the needs of generative AI and advanced computing.

This project marks a significant milestone in the expansion plans of Merlin Properties, a promoter and operator of sustainable real estate assets in the Iberian Peninsula, and Edged Energy, a global provider of sustainable data centers. The construction of the campus will occur in several phases, with the first unit expected to be operational by 2027.

Portugal has always been a strategic market for Merlin, representing a significant part of their portfolio, with assets worth around 1.2 billion euros in offices, logistics, and shopping centers. These data centers, as a new asset class driving the company’s growth, will position Portugal prominently. The country benefits from a privileged location for submarine cable communications, a robust electrical grid, and renewable energy, which will soon make Portugal an energy exporter. In an environment that favors investment and promotes innovation, Portugal is at the forefront of this type of investment.

Located 20 minutes from Parque das Nações, next to the Castanheira do Ribatejo train station, the Lisbon AI campus will have five world-class data centers designed to provide 180MW of critical power, using 100% renewable energy. The campus is specifically designed to preserve the region’s water resources and minimize energy consumption. With an industry-leading average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.15, the facilities will support intensive AI-driven workloads without any water consumption for cooling. Merlin-Edged aims to increase the complex’s electrical capacity to 300 MW of critical power in the long term.

In a period of water scarcity, where reservoirs in some regions of Portugal and Spain have reached minimum levels, leading to usage restrictions, the Lisbon campus will save about 2.7 billion liters of water per year compared to conventional data centers. This is a milestone in the industry!

Merlin-Edged aims to develop data centers with a positive impact, actively contributing to the rapid growth of Portugal’s digital economy, which will yield significant economic results for Portuguese society and its young talents. The region offers exceptional fiber connectivity, with 10 intercontinental submarine cables near Lisbon, along with a strong commitment to renewable energy production and sustainable design. This approach aligns perfectly with the partnership’s efforts and business philosophy to combat climate change through innovation.

The campus will be equipped with the ThermalWorks water-free cooling system, specifically designed to meet the high demands of generative AI and advanced computing. The modular system can support densities of up to 70 kW per rack using air cooling, and up to 200 kW per rack with plug-and-play liquid cooling integration. Unlike other water-free cooling solutions, this technology is highly efficient, allowing a 74% reduction in energy consumption compared to the global average PUE of 1.58, as reported by the Uptime Institute.

Sustainability is the fundamental principle of this project, from the design and operation of the facilities to the use of ultra-clean backup energy available on-site. The facilities will be equipped with Tier V generators powered by natural gas, drastically reducing atmospheric emissions compared to traditional diesel generators.

In addition to the Lisbon campus, Merlin Properties and Edged have developed a network of carbon-neutral data centers across the Iberian Peninsula. The first three state-of-the-art data centers are located in Barcelona, Madrid, and the metropolitan area of Bilbao. The next phase of construction for the Bilbao-Arasur campus is expected to begin later this year, aiming to reach up to 300 MW of IT capacity in the long term.

Author

Paulo Lopes is a multi-talent Portuguese citizen who made his Master of Economics in Switzerland and studied law at Lusófona in Lisbon - CEO of Casaiberia in Lisbon and Algarve.

Paulo Lopes