Map Key · 14 de outubro de 2026
Data centers and the territory
A data center is an industrial building that houses computers, but what it leaves in a territory is measured in permanent jobs, energy and water use, local purchasing and the ability to attract other projects. Construction employs many people; operation, few.
Construction and operation
Estimates vary. The FGV, cited by Brazil's communications minister, calculates 12,500 construction jobs for an AI data center at Pecém and 1,860 permanent positions in operation. The Voltalia project in Caucaia speaks of 2,300 direct construction jobs and 400 in operation. In any scenario, construction employs far more people than operation, and construction ends.
Energy and water
Projects of this size need new power generation: the Ceará ZPE says the structure will require expansion of wind and solar plants. Redata, the law that supports the sector, requires renewable energy and a cap on water use.
What to watch
- How many permanent jobs, and where the hires come from.
- What is bought from regional suppliers.
- Where the water comes from and whether it is reused.
- Who pays for the new energy and the grid that carries it to the project.
- Whether a channel for dialogue with neighbors exists before construction.
The view from next door. Those living near a data center want to know three things: how many people from the region will stay employed after construction, where the water comes from and who pays for the new energy. In ISBR reading, projects that answer this in writing before starting gain predictability.
Related terms
Ler em português: Data center: o que ele deixa no território
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