Orsi framed the initiative as the largest private commitment Uruguay has ever attracted, bundling cloud infrastructure with dedicated clean energy. He said the first buildout is scheduled to break ground in March and aims to be running by 2030. His government also noted it has not identified who will construct or operate the future data centers in later phases.
The 350 megawatt solar installation, priced at $200 million and intended to power the upcoming server campuses, is set to be developed by Solaria Energía y Medio Ambiente SA. Bloomberg News previously flagged Solaria's move, and the company has not issued a comment. The effort fits with Solaria's broader shift to become an operator of critical infrastructure and to branch into new lines of business like power-hungry data facilities, while also widening its footprint beyond Spain.
The initial stage centers on a data center rated for 200 megawatts, with work starting in March and operations expected in 2030. The follow-on stage, planned under the next administration, envisions a second data center with computing horsepower of no less than 300 megawatts. The package would bolster Uruguay's standing as a top data center hub in Latin America.
Alphabet Inc. is already putting up an $850 million site in the country that is tracking to open before 2030 and would be the company's second in the region. Industry and Energy Minister Fernanda Cardona said, "What we are announcing today is five times bigger than Google's data center," and noted that the country has already factored in power provision, suitable sites, and potential environmental impacts.
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For anyone watching digital infrastructure and renewables, Uruguay is stacking real weight. A multibillion-dollar build, a dedicated solar supply, and Google's separate $850 million project all point to rising demand for clean, reliable compute in the region.
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