IGNIS, a vertically integrated energy company, and Apto, a provider of hyperscale data centres in Europe, have reached an agreement to secure grid access and connection, as well as the supply of renewable energy, for the new data centre campus being developed by Apto in Fuenlabrada, south of Madrid (Spain). IGNIS will also be responsible for developing the electrical infrastructure (transmission lines and substations) required to enable the data centre’s connection to the grid.
The agreement underpins Apto’s commitment to developing sustainable data centres in Europe, with a long-term investment to make this local, renewable energy generation project a reality. Apto is a signatory to the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, which targets making data centres climate neutral by 2030.
Apto’s campus at Fuenlabrada is a landmark 195,000m2 site, just 14km from the city centre, establishing itself in one of Europe’s most attractive data centre hubs. Development of the site, formerly home to an industrial bottling plant, is underway, with a total capital investment of more than €2bn, including extensive landscaping with thousands of new trees and shrubs, as well as community amenities such as walking paths and recreation areas.
The grid access and connection are supported by IGNIS’s established position at the grid connection point, where it already owns renewable generation assets, associated infrastructure, and the capacity needed to meet the new demand associated with the data centre. This combination allows existing electrical infrastructure to be shared between renewable generation and the new consumption load, optimising grid usage and accelerating project timelines.
The agreement between IGNIS and Apto includes 82 MW of grid access and connection, together with a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) linked to a 94MW photovoltaic plant developed and constructed by IGNIS, which is capable of generating approximately 171 GWh of renewable electricity annually, and avoiding approximately 19,400 tCO₂e per year.
This self-consumption model ensures part of the electricity demand of the facility being developed by Apto will be supplied by locally generated renewable energy, so as not to add further strain to the electricity grid. In addition, Apto’s design does not evaporate water in the cooling process, instead it uses highly efficient air-cooled chillers.
“In projects of this kind, we bring together the capabilities we have developed throughout our history: renewable energy development, energy management, and the attraction of new demand. This model enables a more efficient power supply for energy-intensive infrastructure,” said Manuel González, Head of IGNIS Projects.
“Our partnership with IGNIS marks a significant milestone in our development of our campus in Madrid, giving our customers access to sustainable, locally generated power in a fast-growing market, as well as bringing investment to an industrial redevelopment site with long term benefits for the local community,” commented Russell Poole, CEO of Apto.
About IGNIS
IGNIS is a vertically integrated energy company that provides best-in-class solutions for large energy consumers and new sources of demand, such as data centres. Founded in 2015, the company promotes a more competitive, flexible and sustainable energy model, by connecting the entire value chain, from the project development and construction to the operation and energy optimisation of generation assets and consumers.
To achieve this, IGNIS develops multi-technology projects globally and holds a leading position in renewable energy development, battery storage, grid access solutions, and decarbonization and electrification projects. The company currently has more than 1 GW of owned generation capacity either in operation or under construction.
In addition, IGNIS combines these capabilities with advanced energy and asset management to deliver integrated solutions tailored to customer needs. The company manages 10 GW of owned and third-party assets across all technologies (renewables, hydropower, thermal, and the first battery storage facility by an independent agent in Spain), participating in all segments of the electricity market.
About Apto
Apto delivers world-class, hyperscale data centres to lead the next wave of the digital economy, focusing on high-growth and emerging markets across Europe. Apto combines access to real estate and capital with a leadership team bringing over a century of combined experience in designing, constructing and operating data centres at scale.
More information
Atrevia
Carlos Ungría
cungria@atrevia.com
IGNIS
Rodrigo Pinedo
rodrigo.pinedo@ignis.es
Harmon
ignis@harmon.es
Cristina Moreno / cmoreno@harmon.es
