# How much land does a data center need per MW?

> Recent European deals imply roughly **550 to 770 m² of land per MW** for multi-storey data centers: about 22,000 m² for 40 MW in Madrid, 17,650 m² for 25 MW near Madrid, and 23,000 m² for about 30 MW near Milan. Single-storey or campus layouts need more.

By Razvan Toma, Founder & CEO, Ampervia · Last checked 2026-10-12 · https://ampervia.com/answers/land-per-mw-data-center/

## Key facts

- Vicálvaro, Madrid: about 22,000 m² for 40 MW → ≈550 m² per MW (DCD).
- Meco, Madrid: 17,650 m² for 25 MW → ≈706 m² per MW (ActivumSG).
- Milan area (Magnora): 23,000 m² for about 30 MW → ≈767 m² per MW (DCD).
- Ratios are Ampervia’s division of the published figures.

_Land per MW implied by published deals_

| Site | Land | Power | m² per MW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vicálvaro, Madrid | ≈22,000 m² | 40 MW | ≈550 |
| Meco, Madrid | 17,650 m² | 25 MW | ≈706 |
| Milan area | 23,000 m² | ≈30 MW | ≈767 |

## What else the land must hold

- Substation or switchgear compound and transformer bays.
- Backup generators and fuel.
- Cooling plant, setbacks and access roads.
- Room for a second phase.

## A quick sizing rule

For a 10 MW site, the published deals point to roughly 0.55–0.8 hectares; for 20 MW, about 1.1–1.5 hectares. Planning limits on height and coverage can push this up.

## Questions

### Does a 1-hectare plot fit a data center?

On the ratios above, about 13–18 MW in a multi-storey building, if the power and planning allow it.

## Sources

1. [DCD — Edgnex 40 MW data center in Madrid](https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/damacs-edgnex-to-develop-40mw-data-center-in-madrid-spain/)
2. [ActivumSG — €11m powered land sale to Pure DC](https://www.activumsg.com/activumsg-completes-11m-powered-land-sale-pure-dc/)
3. [DCD — Magnora acquires land outside Milan for data center development](https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/magnora-acquires-land-outside-milan-italy-for-data-center-development/)

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