How the Government plans to attract more data centres to Portugal
An overview of the strategies the Portuguese government is implementing to encourage the establishment of new data centres in the country.

Latest news and stories about data centres in Portugal for expats and residents.
An overview of the strategies the Portuguese government is implementing to encourage the establishment of new data centres in the country.

An overview of the strategies the Portuguese government is implementing to encourage the establishment of new data centres in the country.

The data centres powering Artificial Intelligence (AI) consume enormous amounts of energy, but according to new research, they have another worrying effect: they create 'heat islands', increasing temperatures within a radius of up to ten kilometres.
Faster licensing, approval of special zones, and coordination by AICEP are some of the measures included in the national plan for data centres.

The Government approved the National Data Centre Plan this Thursday in the Council of Ministers, providing for simpler licensing to attract and foster investment in these infrastructures in the country, with the capacity to create 3,300 direct jobs. The announcement was made by the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, explaining that 'Portugal has unique conditions...'

The problem is only just beginning.

The former Greek finance minister argues Portugal can only benefit from data centres if it controls technology firms' algorithms, and he reiterates warnings about stablecoins.

Economist Yanis Varoufakis, former Finance Minister of Greece, on Monday advised divesting from data centres and cloud computing if there is no sovereignty over the algorithms behind those infrastructures. The former Greek leader warned about the few jobs created and the excessive consumption of natural resources they bring...

Major tech firms are investing in nuclear energy projects to secure reliable, low-carbon power for energy-hungry AI systems and data centres.

A meeting in Madrid, hosted by a platform founded by Microsoft's founder, included the Energy Minister and the CEO of EDP. Electricity grids and the demand for power from data centres were discussed.
