Start Campus, founded in Lisbon in 2020, has transformed Sines, a small Portuguese coastal town, into a major AI data centre hub. The developer identified a former EDP coal-fired power station site with existing infrastructure advantages, including seawater intake systems and direct access to subsea fibre cable routes linking Europe globally. Designated a Project of National Interest by the Portuguese government in March 2021, construction began in April 2022. The first facility, SIN01, became operational in late 2024, capitalising on Portugal’s rapidly expanding renewable energy capacity.
In-Depth:
Why Sines became a data centre hub
Start Campus, the developer behind the project, was established in Lisbon in 2020 and quickly turned its attention to Sines, a tiny coastal town on Portugal’s Alentejo shoreline.
In the town, the company found an industrial site beside a recently decommissioned coal-fired power station owned by EDP.
The location already carried critical infrastructure advantages, including a seawater intake system and direct proximity to subsea fibre cable routes connecting Europe and beyond, supporting to accelerate development.
The site was officially recognised as a Project of National Interest by the Portuguese government in March 2021. Construction launched in April 2022 and the first facility, SIN01, entered operation in late 2024, a timeline that aligned aligned with Portugal’s rapidly greening energy mix.
