Amazon Web Services launches a major project in Aragon: the largest data campus in the region, worth 5 billion euros, will be built in La Puebla de Híjar. As part of the infrastructure expansion, the company will construct 12 data centers and 5 electrical substations, which will be part of a broader strategy to develop cloud services in Spain. The project affects not only La Puebla de Híjar, but also neighboring municipalities—Azaila, Jatiel, Castelnou, Híjar, Samper de Calanda, and Escatrón—where key communications and engineering networks will be laid.
Scale and construction phases
According to Amazon’s strategic plan, 12 out of 30 new buildings planned for AWS expansion in Aragon will be constructed in La Puebla de Híjar. A total of 459 hectares of industrial land have been allocated for development, 200 hectares of which are located directly in La Puebla de Híjar. The company has already reserved 328.6 hectares, which will be converted from agricultural to industrial status. The project is being implemented under a special procedure—Plan de Interés General de Aragón (PIGA), allowing for accelerated approvals and modifications to local urban development plans due to the project’s economic and social significance.
Construction will take place in four stages: the first has already begun with the purchase and registration of plots. The second stage (2027–2031) will see the construction of the first data centers and the development of infrastructure. The third stage (2031–2036) involves connecting additional buildings and introducing new energy solutions and storage systems. The final phase will complete the campus with administrative and auxiliary facilities.
Infrastructure and regional impact
The project will include not only data centers, but also a water treatment plant, administrative buildings, data archives, and five substations. Connecting to major utility networks will require the construction of new electrical corridors as well as the organization of water supply and sewage systems. The main source of water for server cooling will be the Ebro River, with the connection point located in Escatrón, 11.6 km from the campus. Return water will also be discharged into the Ebro. On hot days, when the temperature exceeds 31.1 degrees, water consumption will rise, but Amazon claims that, since 2019, conservation systems have been introduced that reduce usage by 25%.
The project does not affect protected natural areas; however, part of the land belongs to habitats of rare bird species. Most of the plots are occupied by agricultural land and old steppes. For the implementation of the project, Amazon has already begun the process of purchasing and expropriating 87 privately owned, municipal, and state plots. A new service road will appear along the N-232 highway, and the campus itself will be located between this road and the future A-68 highway.
Economic impact and jobs
According to the company, investments in the AWS region in Aragon will reach €18 billion by 2035, €5 billion of which will be in La Puebla de Híjar alone. The project is expected to create 6,700 direct jobs in Spain annually, including 4,200 in Aragon, mostly for local companies and suppliers. Regional authorities expect the new data campus to attract additional investment and boost economic activity in the municipalities.
Environmental and infrastructure issues remain in focus: to meet the growing demand for electricity, connection to the Promotores Escatrón substation is being considered, where it is also planned to supply power from new solar power plants. The impact on water resources and noise levels will be assessed in the next stages of approval. Until May 7, residents and organizations can submit their comments on the project.
In recent years, large companies have increasingly invested in infrastructure development and job creation in Spain. For example, the Consum supermarket chain recently opened dozens of new stores and increased employee pay, which has also affected the regional economy — more on this can be found in the article about revenue growth and bonuses at Consum.
