A report by Savills positions the capital as the third emerging market in Southern Europe for hosting new data centres, only behind Porto and Marseille. Globally, it ranks 11th among 54 markets.
Málaga has made it to the podium in Southern Europe as one of the markets with the greatest potential for future data centre development. This is reflected in the Power and Place index by the international real estate consultancy Savills, which places it in the third position in that region and at 11th place globally among the 54 markets analysed.
The study, conducted within Savills' global analysis programme Impacts, does not measure the current demand for data centres, but rather the actual ease of constructing them. In a cycle marked by the rise of artificial intelligence, the report focuses on physical factors such as access to energy, water, land, and development capacity, which have become the main determinants in the sector.
To this end, the index evaluates four major pillars: energy, water and climate, connectivity and economic environment, and development viability. Among the variables analysed are the cost and availability of electricity, water resources, temperatures, digital connectivity, construction costs, and regulatory and urban planning frameworks.
In Southern Europe, Málaga stands out alongside Porto and Marseille as one of the emerging markets with the greatest capacity to attract new investments in digital infrastructure. According to Savills, these markets offer a faster route to secure large-scale electrical capacity, a factor that is becoming increasingly decisive for the development of new projects.
The coastal capital particularly excels in two variables: availability of electrical capacity and energy costs. Both Málaga and Madrid have no restrictions on access to the electrical grid and have favourable urban planning policies for these developments.
Additionally, Spain has some of the most competitive electricity costs in Western Europe, is a net exporter of electricity, and has a high share of renewables in its energy mix. Furthermore, construction costs are lower than in most comparable markets.
Málaga even achieves a better position than Madrid thanks to slightly more moderate summer temperatures and less local competition for electrical demand, stemming from its smaller size. This favours the availability of capacity for future projects.
The report also points out some challenges for the Andalusian city, particularly the availability of water and the high maximum temperatures in summer, two factors that are becoming increasingly relevant for operating data centres efficiently.
The publication of the index coincides with a period of strong global growth in data centre capacity. Although the United States continues to lead the global market, new locations are gaining prominence as operators seek environments with energy availability and fewer restrictions to meet the demands of artificial intelligence.
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