Ignis and Acciona form joint venture for solar-powered data center in Segovia, Spain

Spanish energy and infrastructure groups Ignis and Acciona have formalized a joint venture to develop a data center project in the province of Segovia, in the Castile and León region, alongside an adjacent solar power plant designed to meet the facility's electricity needs with renewable energy. The partnership marks another step in the rapid consolidation of Spain's data center market, where access to clean power and grid capacity has become a defining factor for new developments.

The transaction is structured through Ignis Data Epta, a company established in 2024 that until now was wholly owned by Ignis P2X, the data center platform jointly controlled by IGNIS and private equity firm KKR. Under the agreement, Acciona has acquired a 50 percent stake in the vehicle, while Ignis retains the remaining half of the project. The deal also includes the joint acquisition of the solar plant adjacent to the data center, ensuring that the campus will be powered by on-site renewable generation.

The permits for grid access and connection required for the project were previously processed through two Ignis subsidiaries, and this transaction formalizes the joint presence of both companies in the development of the complex. By combining Acciona's construction and energy expertise with Ignis's existing project pipeline, the partnership is positioned to accelerate the delivery of a strategically located data center with a dedicated renewable power source.

For Acciona, joining the Segovia project is part of a broader expansion plan in the data center business, through which the company chaired by José Manuel Entrecanales aims to reach 2GW of capacity. Until less than two years ago, this activity was handled solely by the group's Construction division; since then, it has been managed by a dedicated unit, Acciona Data Centers. The move reflects a wider industry trend in which traditional energy and construction players are increasingly entering the digital infrastructure space to capture value from the surging demand for AI and cloud computing capacity.

As a precedent for this model, Acciona cites the agreement recently reached with Apto for the data center campus that Apto is developing in Fuenlabrada, Madrid. That agreement provides for 82MW of grid access and connection, along with a long-term power purchase agreement linked to a 94MW solar power plant developed and built by IGNIS. The Segovia project follows a similar blueprint, underscoring the growing importance of behind-the-meter renewable generation as a competitive advantage in the European data center market, where grid constraints and sustainability requirements are reshaping project economics.

Industry observers note that pairing data centers with dedicated solar assets not only reduces carbon footprints but also insulates operators from volatile energy prices and grid congestion. As Spain continues to attract significant data center investment due to its renewable resources and strategic location, partnerships like this one are likely to become more common, blending energy development with digital infrastructure to meet the demands of an increasingly power-hungry sector.