Acciona Data Center Plans in Brazil Await Senate Tax Incentive Approval
Spanish infrastructure group Acciona is evaluating its first data center project in Brazil, but any final investment hinges on a stalled federal tax incentive and the resolution of regional grid constraints.
Acciona is studying a data center project in the northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte, marking its potential entry into Brazil’s expanding digital infrastructure market. However, the Spanish group has not made a final investment decision, as the project remains contingent on federal tax incentives currently awaiting Senate approval.
The company is waiting on Redata, the Special Tax Regime for Data Center Services, which suspends federal taxes on imports and purchases of IT goods and electronic components. The original provisional measure lapsed in February 2026, and its replacement, Bill 278/2026, is now stalled in the Senate after passing the lower house.
Infrastructure and Renewable Integration
If approved, the replacement bill would suspend these taxes for five years while mandating clean power usage, research and development spending, and domestic supply commitments. Acciona’s proposed model involves developing the entire infrastructure, including a dedicated renewable generation unit to power the facility, mirroring its existing wind energy operations in Brazil.
The group already holds up to 850 MW of wind capacity in Bahia, acquired from Casa dos Ventos. It also manages major local infrastructure projects, including the 19 billion reais Line 6-Orange São Paulo metro concession, which has created over 10,000 jobs.
Regional Advantages and Grid Risks
Rio Grande do Norte offers strategic appeal due to its status as one of Brazil’s largest wind producers, hosting over 300 operational wind plants. Furthermore, its location in the Northeast qualifies the project for a 20 percent reduction in counterpart requirements under the proposed tax regime.
Despite this renewable potential, severe grid limitations pose a material risk to reliable data center operations. Between January and July 2026, grid operators curtailed 23.2 percent of the state’s wind and solar capacity.
Compensation for this curtailed power remains unresolved. While a 780 million reais compensation scheme exists, it has not been activated, leaving generators to navigate a 6 billion reais debt to the electricity chamber.
Competitive Landscape
The broader Brazilian data center market presents substantial growth opportunities, with industry association Brasscom estimating the sector could attract US$11.4 billion in 2026. Over the next four years, Brasscom projects 60 billion to 100 billion reais in investment for approximately 200 new facilities.
Acciona would face steep competition from established players in neighboring regions. In the state of Ceará, ByteDance has already announced plans to invest 200 billion reais over a decade at the Pecém port complex, dwarfing the scale of Acciona’s current evaluation phase.
