The arrow smile, symbol of Amazon, will be stamped on the gross domestic product (GDP) of Aragon. Amazon Web Services (AWS), the technology subsidiary of the American giant, announced yesterday an investment of 15.7 billion euros in the Aragonese community until 2033. This is the largest technological investment in southern Europe and probably the largest ever announced in Spain . To get an idea of the size of Amazon’s plan, Volkswagen’s project to electrify its car factories on the peninsula, considered so far the largest investment by a foreign company in Spain, has a budget of 10 billion.
For this reason, the presentation of the project was celebrated yesterday with great fanfare by the president of the community, Jorge Azcón, along with the main managers of the multinational in Spain and of Amazon infrastructure in Europe—Suzana Curic and Niamh Gallagher—. The project involves expanding the three infrastructures that the company founded by Jeff Bezos has in Aragon (in El Burgo de Ebro, Villanueva de Gállego along with Zaragoza and Plhus, in Huesca) to build the largest network of data centers in southern Europe. These hives of servers are essential for cloud data storage and internet computing.
The multinational will build an operational building in Zaragoza. In total, the digital facilities will occupy more than 350 hectares in the region, according to data from the company, which aims to create 6,800 new jobs. “It is the most important investment that has been made in the history of the autonomous community and the most important that will be made in Europe in the coming years,” Azcón stressed yesterday.
AWS chose Aragon as one of its strategic regions almost five years ago, when it decided to build the data centers, but the step taken yesterday means six-folding its initial investment.
The three data centers that have already been in operation for a year and a half, located in Huesca and in the Zaragoza belt, two years ago meant the creation of 1,300 jobs and the investment of 2.5 billion euros in ten years, but The expansions of all of them, according to Azcón, will increase the wealth of the autonomous community by 30% in the coming years and “will position Aragón as a technological power not only in Spain, but as a technological hub at a continental and global level.”
There are two issues that have been key for Aragon to take this million-dollar investment, land and energy; and a third that has made it possible: the open doors of an Administration that shortens procedures and speeds up procedures for large technology companies. In fact, hours before this investment was announced, the Governing Council of the Aragonese Executive approved the declaration of regional interest in this expansion, which will speed up and reduce the time for permits by up to 50%. The fact that the project is declared PIGA, or of general interest, even allows for land expropriations to be undertaken if necessary. It won’t be for land, but for energy—despite the very high demand for these data facilities, which not even their owners want to quantify—neither.
“All those companies that are intensive in energy consumption have to look at Aragón,” Azcón invited. The truth is that the community already produces twice what it consumes through renewable sources, especially wind and photovoltaic. And for the moment, sectors that, like this one, involve high electricity demand, can be allowed. The three Aragonese data centers, the head of the company in Spain has stressed, are powered by electricity generated by renewable sources. It’s no small thing. Its consumption has already implied 20% more in the total of the community, and this without taking into account the expansion announced now.
Water need
But data centers don’t just need wind and sun. Also water. For this reason, Suzana Curic has made another important announcement in a region where water resources are always a source of conflict: Amazon Web Services “will return the water it consumes to the grid.” A true declaration of sustainable intentions. And it remains to be seen if other announcements will end up arriving, in the field of renewables. At the moment, the company is not considering promoting its own electricity generation parks to supply itself. It does so—as reported—with external alliances and agreements. But when asked about this, Azcón himself has not ruled it out: “Aragón is a leader in renewable production and we want to continue, perhaps with news very soon.”
Digital talent is another key for a company like this to announce a million-dollar investment. Curic mentioned it in his speech, also announcing the company’s interest in building bridges with the two Aragonese universities, the public one in Zaragoza, and the private one in San Jorge, located precisely in the municipal area where one of Amazon’s data centers is located. , Villanueva de Gállego.
The American company has several initiatives underway such as its program Think Big Space to train students from local schools in technological disciplines. And the Government also accompanies the company in this commitment. “We will multiply the places in those university degrees and Vocational Training that companies demand the most,” Azcón explained. Last week, the Aragonese Executive announced a 40-hectare technology park that will see the light, according to the president, throughout this legislature to promote technological business activity.
The vision of Aragón as a technological hub is what lies behind all these million-dollar plans and investments. The idea of the autonomous government is that technology is like what the automobile was in its day with the arrival of the multinational Opel (now Stellantis) or logistics with Inditex, the new engine of a region that aspires to carve out a leading role in not only in the cloud, but throughout southern Europe. And for that, political collaboration is also needed. Jorge Azcón has sued her when he recounted, in statements after the announcement, how he called “Minister Escrivá to tell him about Amazon’s investment, but his agenda did not allow him or the Secretary of State to come.” And he pointed even more directly when he asked for the same collaboration that, in the Digital Transition plan of the Government of Spain, is contemplated, for example, for projects such as the Mare Nostrum supercomputer, in Catalonia. Azcón has waved the flag of equality and always does so in the background, in the midst of a political battle now that the European elections are also approaching.
The Minister of Digital Transformation, José Luis Escrivá, is traveling to South Korea but the presentation note for the project includes some statements from him evaluating it. “He ratifies Spain as a hub key digital platform in southern Europe with great advantages, such as connectivity and local climatic and energy conditions,” says the minister, who adds that the investment by the Amazon subsidiary places the country “at the forefront of technological innovation and artificial intelligence in Europe”.