By Razvan Toma · Founder & CEO, Ampervia · Last checked 2026-10-13 · Sources linked below
Spain has grid capacity, but rarely where data centers queue. In the CNMC’s August 2026 data, 816 of 6,186 distribution nodes publish demand capacity and only 104 offer 20 MW or more; Madrid has 9. Since March 2026 a data center must request access as a data center (RDL 7/2026), and congested transmission nodes are allocated by tender. Sources (3)
CNMCCNMC — access capacity map↗
BOEBOE — Real Decreto-ley 7/2026↗MITECOMITECO — 928 MW of demand grid access awarded to large industrial projects (25 Feb 2026)↗
CNMCCNMC
ActivumSGWhat buyers ask for here
| Who | Where | Size | What they buy | Written |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European developer | Spain (with Italy) | 10–30 MW | Sites to develop | Jul 2026 |
| Specialist developer | Spain | Brownfield | Powered brownfield | Jul 2026 |
| Infrastructure investor | Barcelona anchor | 100 MW+ | Large campus sites | Jul 2026 |
From buyer conversations in July 2026; written reconfirmation in progress. Anonymised; stated requirements, not commitments to buy a specific site.
Where sites come from
Brownfield plots near Madrid (for example a 240 MW campus on a former bottling plant in Fuenlabrada) and greenfield campuses next to substations in Aragón. Sources (2)Construction DigitalConstruction Digital — Apto's 240 MW Fuenlabrada campus on a former bottling plant (Mar 2026)↗MERLIN PropertiesMERLIN Properties — Zaragoza-WIND data center campus, Botorrita (Jul 2026)↗
How the power is won
Royal Decree-law 7/2026 requires every demand access permit to state the activity it serves, so a data center must apply as a data center from the start; a factory’s old permit lapses if the activity changes. At congested transmission nodes, capacity is awarded by competitive tender: 928 MW in February 2026. Sources (3)BOEBOE — Real Decreto-ley 7/2026↗Latham & WatkinsLatham & Watkins — New grid access rules in Spain: key takeaways (RDL 7/2026, May 2026)↗MITECOMITECO — 928 MW of demand grid access awarded to large industrial projects (25 Feb 2026)↗
Planning and regulation
Regional fast-track regimes (Aragón’s in particular) shorten permitting, but they do not create grid capacity; the connection remains the critical path. Latham & Watkins
Land and price benchmarks
Along Madrid’s A-2 corridor, industrial land traded at roughly €225–500/m² in mid-2026. The Meco plot with a 25 MW power agreement sold for €11 million, about €440,000 per grid MW. Sources (2)
El DebateEl Debate — Radiografía del suelo industrial en Madrid↗ActivumSGActivumSG — €11m powered land sale to Pure DC↗
Precedents in Spain
- Meco, Madrid: industrial plot to 25 MW powered land, sold for €11 million — Completed sale; operator building
- Vicálvaro, Madrid: 40 MW of power rights, then a sale to DAMAC’s Edgnex — Completed sale; operator developing
- Malpica, Toledo: leased land priced at €1 million per ready-to-build MW — Non-binding offer; not completed
- Alcover, Tarragona: a bankrupt paper mill, power first, partner second — In progress
Data and rules
Sources
CNMCBOEMITECOActivumSGConstruction DigitalMERLIN PropertiesLatham & WatkinsEl Debate
Last checked 2026-10-13. Aggregates and anonymised requirements only; no candidate site, owner or municipality is identified.