Uruguay has announced one of the largest private investments in its history: The Spanish company Solaria plans to invest around 5.7 billion US dollars in a technology park with data centers and its own solar power generation. The project is expected to span several departments and create approximately 1,500 permanent jobs in the long term.
In short: A data center park with around 500 megawatts of power and its own solar power generation of about 350 megawatts is planned. The project is to be implemented in Canelones, San José, and Florida. During the construction phase, the government expects about 3,000 jobs, later around 1,500 permanent positions.
What Is Planned?
President Yamandú Orsi presented the project together with representatives from the government, UTE, Antel, and the Spanish company Solaria Energía y Medio Ambiente. The investment is spread across several locations: Florida for solar power generation, Canelones for the first phase of the data center park, and San José for a further expansion phase.
The project is to be implemented under the free zone regime. According to current planning, construction could begin in March 2027.
An investment of historic proportions
With a total volume of 5.7 billion US dollars, the government describes the project as one of the largest private investment projects in the history of Uruguay.
About 5.5 billion US dollars are expected to be allocated to the data centers, along with investments in energy infrastructure and solar power. During the construction phase, around 3,000 jobs are expected to be created. After completion, approximately 1,500 permanent positions are planned.
Why Uruguay?
Uruguay offers several location advantages for such projects. A large part of the electricity generation already comes from renewable energies today. At the same time, the country has stable energy and telecommunications networks as well as relatively reliable legal and political frameworks.
This combination is particularly interesting for energy-intensive data centers. Additionally, the global demand for digital infrastructure is growing due to cloud services and artificial intelligence. Therefore, the connection between data centers and their own renewable energy supply is playing an increasingly important role internationally.
Solaria is already active in Uruguay
Solaria is not a new player in the country. The Spanish company has been operating in Uruguay for about ten years and already runs solar parks in Río Negro and Soriano.
With the new project, Solaria would significantly expand its activities and enter the digital infrastructure sector more strongly.
What Does This Mean for People Moving to Uruguay?
For those considering relocating to Uruguay, a single major investment will not immediately change everyday life. However, it represents an important signal about the country's economic development.
Large investments can create new jobs, attract international companies, and lead to additional infrastructure. It is also interesting that the project does not only focus on Montevideo but involves several departments.
For people who consider Uruguay as a long-term residential, work, or business location, this shows: Economic development is increasingly taking place outside the capital.
Conclusion
The announced 5.7 billion US dollars represent an exceptionally large project for Uruguay.
A large technology park with data centers is planned, combined with its own solar power generation and investments in several regions.
Whether all plans will be fully implemented within the intended timeframe will only become clear in the coming years. However, the project is already a clear sign that Uruguay is increasingly linking its strong position in renewable energies with a new growth area: digital infrastructure and data centers.
Sources and status: Presidency of the Republic, Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining, Ministry of Labor and Social Security, and Subrayado. Status October 2026. The mentioned investment amounts, jobs, and expansion phases correspond to the currently published plans.