EDP, a global leader in renewable energy, and MERLIN Properties, through its division MERLIN Edged, have signed an agreement to supply clean energy to Portugal’s first carbon-neutral data center campus. The project, currently under development in Vila Franca de Xira, 20 km from Lisbon, will feature EDP’s largest single-site decentralized solar plant with up to 100 MWp capacity.

The partnership aims to meet growing demand for renewable energy in tech infrastructure and position the Iberian Peninsula as a leading digital and technology hub in Europe. The campus will be powered by solar energy and complemented by other solutions to guarantee 24/7 renewable supply, increasing energy efficiency, lowering costs, and reducing emissions.

"The rapid expansion of Artificial Intelligence is fueling a global surge in data center development, unlocking significant economic and employment opportunities. These large-scale infrastructures require a robust, reliable and affordable energy supply—further accelerating the demand for renewable energy projects. The Iberian Peninsula is especially well-positioned to lead this growth, thanks to its strong capabilities, abundant renewable resources, and competitive energy pricing. MERLIN-Edged’s new data centers will be powered by a renewable, efficient, and dependable energy supply—an area where EDP is fully prepared to deliver," said Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade, CEO of EDP.

"We are facing a clearly growing market, driven by rapid technological evolution and high digital consumption. This has sharply increased the demand for data centers, amid a supply shortage that requires agile and responsible development. The challenge is to do this sustainably and efficiently, in a sector traditionally intensive in energy and water use. As a demonstration of our commitment, our data centers have net zero water consumption for cooling and use 67% less energy for these systems compared to the European average," added Ismael Clemente, CEO of MERLIN