The first phase of British company Apto’s data centre in Fuenlabrada is built. The planned facility covers 195,000 square metres on the site of a former Coca-Cola plant, above an aquifer. Residents say the project was not properly explained to them. World Economic Forum guidance on water risk recommends assessing groundwater, drought history and water use across an entire river basin when choosing data-centre sites. It also advises consulting the cities, farmers and utilities that share the basin.
That concern was voiced at a demonstration in Madrid on Saturday 7 November 2026. Around 50 to 100 people walked along the Manzanares from Marqués de Vadillo, calling for a pause in data-centre construction and tighter regulation. Organisers stopped at water sources and green spaces to discuss the environmental effects of digital infrastructure. Reuters reported that the action was part of a wider European debate over the environmental effects of artificial-intelligence infrastructure.
The protest formed part of a series of actions across Europe. In Madrid, participants included Tu Nube Seca mi Río, along with Ecologistas en Acción and Extinction Rebellion. The European initiative Stop Dirty Data Centers is calling for a continent-wide moratorium to study the impacts and develop rules. The campaign comes as the rapid growth of AI computing drives demand for large data centres, along with the electricity connections and cooling systems they need.
Water and electricity demand are central to campaigners’ concerns. A cited study estimates that a large data centre can consume 18.9 million litres of water per day, comparable to the use of a municipality with 10,000 to 50,000 residents. Another study says heat from these facilities can significantly raise temperatures in nearby natural areas and towns. The International Energy Agency estimates that data centres used about 415 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024 and projects global consumption will reach 945 terawatt-hours a year by 2030, similar to Japan’s annual consumption. The agency also estimates data-centre water consumption at 560 billion litres in 2023, rising to about 1.2 trillion litres annually by 2030. That measure includes water associated with cooling and electricity production. Cooling choices shift demand between resources: evaporative systems generally use less electricity but more water, while dry or hybrid systems can reduce direct water use but bring energy or performance trade-offs in hot conditions.
In Fuenlabrada, Eva Fuentes, a local resident and member of Podemos Fuenlabrada, says neighbours remain unaware of the project because information has been lacking. The completed first phase has its own power plant rated at 40 megawatt-hours, she says. Fuentes has called for a moratorium, arguing that regulation will be harder if construction proceeds before there is time to assess the effects. Spain’s draft Royal Decree on data centres would set efficiency requirements using European classifications. The revised draft calls for the highest applicable energy-efficiency category and a Class A water-efficiency category, with energy normalisation accounting for factors including Spain’s differing climates. The proposed framework remains a draft.
Environmental concerns also extend to the corridor of the Henares. Gema Sanz moved to Torres de la Alameda partly for its natural surroundings. A proposed solar-panel project covering 290 hectares around her development could supply nearby municipalities that already host dozens of data-centre buildings. Sanz warned that the project and related energy infrastructure could damage local wildlife and vegetation.
The campaign’s organisers link the issue to other struggles over land. Fuentes also connected it with housing activism, covered in RUSSPAIN’s report on Spain’s housing strike. She said the campaign would continue regardless of its electoral impact.
Architect and researcher Marina Otero, who has tracked data centres and digital infrastructure for a decade, argues that the industry’s expansion is driven by the push for increasingly powerful models, rather than demonstrated public need. She received the Wheelwright prize in 2022 for her research into digital architecture and supports publicly run digital infrastructure instead of systems controlled by a small number of companies.
Aurora Gómez, co-founder of Tu Nube Seca Mi Río and spokesperson for Stop Dirty Data Centers, said the campaign is seeking a Europe-wide moratorium. She argued that restrictions in individual countries could prompt companies to move projects elsewhere in Europe.
