Spain Water Consumption Market Size
| Study Period | 2021 - 2030 |
| Base Year For Estimation | 2024 |
| Forecast Data Period | 2025 - 2030 |
| Market Volume (2025) | 35.14 Billion liters |
| Market Volume (2030) | 111.60 Billion liters |
| CAGR (2025 - 2030) | 26.00 % |
| Market Concentration | Low |
Major Players
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order |
Spain Water Consumption Market Analysis
The Spain Water Consumption Market size is estimated at 35.14 billion liters in 2025, and is expected to reach 111.60 billion liters by 2030, at a CAGR of greater than 26% during the forecast period (2025-2030).
- IT Load Capacity: In 2024, Spain colocation data center market IT load capacity is approximately 563.45 MW.
- Geographical Significance: Spain, with its varied geography, is Europe's most climatically diverse country. Typically temperate, Spain's inland areas experience hot summers and cold winters, while coastal regions have milder, cloudier summers and cooler winters. The climate is categorized into five zones: hot-summer Mediterranean, warm-summer Mediterranean, oceanic, semi-arid, and warm-summer continental. Currently, Spain faces severe droughts, especially in key data center locations like Madrid and Barcelona, due to below-average rainfall worsened by climate change.
- Raised Floor Space: In 2024, the raised floor space for Spain colocation data center is estimated at approximately 2021665.77 sq.ft.
- Projected Installed Racks: The number of projected installed racks in Spain colocation data center for 2024 is around 80493.
Spain Water Consumption Market Trends
Rising Demand for Mega Data Centers Amid Digitalization Trends Sparks Concerns Over Water Consumption
In today's swiftly advancing environment, marked by increased data consumption and digitalization, the rise in AI usage, the deployment of 5G, and the growth of fiber connectivity are crucial. These developments, along with the surge in smartphone purchases, highlight the essential role of mega data centers in providing seamless services. In 2024, the Spanish government, through the UNICO Redes Activas program, allocated approximately USD 556 million to enhance infrastructure, ensuring 5G coverage for over 1.8 million residents in smaller municipalities.
As of early 2024, Spain had 45.58 million internet users, achieving a 96.0% penetration rate. Cellular mobile connections reached 60.44 million, surpassing the total population with a 127.2% penetration rate. Telecom operators are significantly investing to enhance 5G services, with Vodafone Spain aiming to cover 82% of the population by year-end, extending to 2,700 municipalities, including rural areas.
Spain is seeing strong demand for AI and IoT technologies, driven by telecom investments, government initiatives, and international market entrants. Spanish companies and universities lead in AI innovation, with 9.2% of enterprises adopting AI in 2023, above the EU average of 8.0%. Vodafone Spain reported over 7.37 million active IoT lines in 2024, reflecting a 27.7% annual growth, with 1.6 million lines activated between July 2023 and June 2024.
Colocation and Cloud Data Center Providers Adopt Cooling Technologies to Reduce Water Usage
Spain's strategic location is crucial in addressing the escalating needs of the Cloud & AI data center sector, fueled by growing AI demand and rapid tech adoption. The country ensures reliable power, supports AI-required density and capacity, promotes renewable energy and innovative cooling, and benefits from extensive interconnections. Spanish data centers, mainly cloud and colocation, primarily source water from potable supplies. These facilities, while some use liquid-based cooling, switch to water-based cooling during temperature rises, leading to increased water consumption. This highlights water's essential role in cooling systems, managing heat in large facilities, and ensuring continuous operation of racks and servers 24/7.
Madrid and Barcelona have the highest concentration of data centers in Spain. With the increasing adoption of 5G, cloud services, and AI, both power and water demands in these areas have significantly risen. This surge has raised concerns for Spanish water authorities. In Spain, most data centers draw water from river bodies such as the Alberche River and other major rivers to cool their data centers. For instance, in 2024, Meta’s next European data center will be located in Talavera de la Reina, in the province of Toledo, Spain and will draw the majority of water from the Alberche River to cool its systems.
Immersion Liquid Cooling and closed-loop cooling systems dominate the cooling technology landscape in Spanish data centers. In response to the increasing demands of digitalization and AI, prominent colocation operators have adopted these advanced cooling solutions. For example, the CyrusOne Madrid data center campus features cooling configured on a resilient ring chilled water system and low PUE due to the cooling solution and optimum chilled water temperature to maximize free cooling hours.
Spain Water Consumption Industry Overview
The Spain data center water consumption market is fragmented, featuring five key players: Microsoft Corporation, Equinix Inc., EXA Infrastructure, Digital Realty Trust Inc., and Meta, Inc. Notably, cloud data centers, particularly those of Meta and Microsoft, are targeting a "water positive" status by 2030. For example, Microsoft's data center in the Greater Madrid area is not only LEED certified, meeting all sustainability standards, but also adopts advanced cooling technologies as part of its sustainability initiatives.
Spain Water Consumption Market Leaders
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Microsoft Corporation
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Equinix Inc.
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EXA Infrastructure
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Digital Realty Trust Inc.
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Meta, Inc.
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Spain Water Consumption Market News
- January 2024: NTT DOCOMO, INC., NTT Communications Corporation, and NTT Comware Corporation have announced the immediate rollout of a pilot version of their AI-driven system. This system monitors water levels in rivers and reservoirs and is being offered to businesses and local governments across the nation. The companies anticipate refining the AI capabilities and user experience during this trial, with an eye on a commercial launch slated for March 2024.
- November 2023: One of the most significant forthcoming projects is the establishment of a data center in Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, discreetly referred to as Meta's data center. The Talavera data center is expected to consume 4.8 billion liters of water annually. This occurs while reservoirs in Castilla-La Mancha are at 28.93% capacity, and the WWF warns that 75% of the Spain is at risk of desertification.
Spain Water Consumption Market Report - Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Study Assumptions And Market Definition
1.2 Scope of the Study
2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.1 Research Framework
2.2 Secondary Research
2.3 Primary Research
2.4 Data Triangulation and Insight Generation
3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4. MARKET INSIGHT
4.1 Market Overview
4.2 Market Dynamics
4.2.1 Market Drivers
4.2.1.1 AI, 5G, and Cloud Adoption Drive Significant Data Center Investments and Rising Water Usage
4.2.1.2 Rising Water Demand for Data Centers Sparks Innovations in Sustainable IT Infrastructure
4.2.2 Market Restraints
4.2.2.1 Data Centers Expand in Water-Scarce Regions Amid Rising Natural Disasters
4.3 Analysis of the Key Applications Based on the Water Consumption In Data Centers
4.4 Analysis of the Efficiency Benefits Realized With the Use of Water For Cooling in data Centers
4.5 Industry Regulations and Standards Related to Water Consumption
4.6 Case Study Analysis Detailing the Concept of Reuse Water (Greywater Recycling, Rainwater Recycling, Cooling Tower or Heat Exchangers Water Recycling or Evaporative Cooling) in Data Centers
4.7 Key Considerations in Water Scarce Areas
4.8 Key Analysis of Water Treatment Method (Filtration, Reverse Osmosis, Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection, Chemical Treatment, Softening and Others) Used For Cooling in Data Centers
5. DATA CENTER INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
5.1 Current Market Scenario Data Center Footprint
5.2 Global Breakdown of Data Center Footprint
5.3 Analysis of the Major Hotspots For Dc Investments
6. MARKET SEGMENTATION
6.1 Market Segmentation - By Source of Water Procurement
6.1.1 Potable Water (Via Regional Water Utility Companies, Local Water Authorities or Private Companies)
6.1.2 Non-Potable Water (It Includes greywater (Treated Sewage or Recycled Water)
6.1.3 Other Alternate Source (It includes on-site Groundwater, Surface Water, Seawater, Water produced via a byproduct of oil and gas extraction, and Rainwater)
6.2 Market Segmentation - By Data Center Type
6.2.1 Enterprise
6.2.2 Colocation
6.2.3 Cloud Service Providers (CSPs)
6.3 Market Segmentation - By Data Center Size
6.3.1 Mega
6.3.2 Massive
6.3.3 Large
6.3.4 Medium
6.3.5 Small
7. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
7.1 Company Profiles
7.1.1 Digital Realty Trust Inc.
7.1.2 Equinix Inc.
7.1.3 EXA Infrastructure
7.1.4 Microsoft Corporation
7.1.5 Meta, Inc.
7.1.6 Acens Technologies SL
7.1.7 Digital Data Centre Bidco SL (Nabiax)
7.1.8 Data4
7.1.9 Zenlayer Inc.
7.1.10 Global Switch Holdings Limited
7.1.11 NetActuate Inc.
- *List Not Exhaustive
8. FUTURE OUTLOOK OF THE MARKET
9. ABOUT US
9.1 Industries Covered
9.2 Illustrative List of Clients in the Industry
9.3 Our Customized Research Capabilities
Spain Water Consumption Industry Segmentation
The study tracks the critical applications of water in large data centers, such as cooling and power generation. It includes key applications based on water consumption in data centers and quantifies overall water usage in billion liters across regions. The study also identifies underlying trends and developments conceptualized by leading industry data center operators.
The Spain Water Consumption Market is Divided Into Segments Based On Water Procurement (Potable Water, Non-Potable Water, and Other Alternate Sources), Data Center Type (Enterprise, Colocation, and Cloud Service Providers (CSPs)), and Data Center Size (Mega, Massive, Large, Medium, and Small). The Report Provides Market Size and Forecasts for all These Segments, Measured in Volume (Billion Liters).
| Market Segmentation - By Source of Water Procurement | |
| Potable Water (Via Regional Water Utility Companies, Local Water Authorities or Private Companies) | |
| Non-Potable Water (It Includes greywater (Treated Sewage or Recycled Water) | |
| Other Alternate Source (It includes on-site Groundwater, Surface Water, Seawater, Water produced via a byproduct of oil and gas extraction, and Rainwater) |
| Market Segmentation - By Data Center Type | |
| Enterprise | |
| Colocation | |
| Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) |
| Market Segmentation - By Data Center Size | |
| Mega | |
| Massive | |
| Large | |
| Medium | |
| Small |
Spain Water Consumption Market Research FAQs
How big is the Spain Water Consumption Market?
The Spain Water Consumption Market size is expected to reach 35.14 billion liters in 2025 and grow at a CAGR of greater than 26% to reach 111.60 billion liters by 2030.
What is the current Spain Water Consumption Market size?
In 2025, the Spain Water Consumption Market size is expected to reach 35.14 billion liters.
Who are the key players in Spain Water Consumption Market?
Microsoft Corporation, Equinix Inc., EXA Infrastructure, Digital Realty Trust Inc. and Meta, Inc. are the major companies operating in the Spain Water Consumption Market.
What years does this Spain Water Consumption Market cover, and what was the market size in 2024?
In 2024, the Spain Water Consumption Market size was estimated at 26.00 billion liters. The report covers the Spain Water Consumption Market historical market size for years: 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The report also forecasts the Spain Water Consumption Market size for years: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
Spain Water Consumption Industry Report
Statistics for the 2025 Spain Water Consumption market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. Spain Water Consumption analysis includes a market forecast outlook for 2025 to 2030 and historical overview. Get a sample of this industry analysis as a free report PDF download.
