Tag: Pelagos Data Centres

July 30, 2026

A £1.8 billion data center. A declared 250 megawatts of capacity. An announced 20,000-square-meter site at the Port of Gibraltar. The numbers behind the Pelagos Data Centres project are staggering. The project, championed by Chairman Konstantin Sokolov and backed by the Government of Gibraltar, is being hailed as a transformative step for the territory’s digital and economic landscape.

But when you look beyond the glossy renders and economic promises, you find a more troublesome reality: the project is being built wall-to-wall with a residential neighborhood. Six blocks of Waterport Terraces, home to 492 flats, sit directly next to this industrial giant. While the world is waking up to the noise crisis caused by data centers, with communities in the United States filing massive class-action lawsuits, Gibraltar is building its own potential acoustic nightmare in the heart of a residential area. For the residents of Waterport Terraces, this isn’t just a new neighbor; it is a threat to their health, their peace, and the value of their homes.

A “Data Storage” Facility or a Heavy Industrial Plant?

Developers have a tried-and-tested trick: call a data center a “data storage” or “office facility.” It sounds clean and quiet. In reality, a modern high-density facility is a heavy industrial operation that runs 24/7/365. The powerful AI chips inside generate immense heat, requiring industrial-scale cooling towers and HVAC systems to prevent them from melting. These systems produce a constant, low-frequency hum—a drone that is almost impossible to block with standard windows or walls.

Now, amplify that problem with the geography of Waterport Terraces. The estate is not a collection of spread-out houses. It is six tall concrete blocks that form a closed courtyard. Instead of dissipating over the water, the low-frequency noise from Pelagos’s cooling systems will hit these massive facades and bounce back, creating a resonance chamber. This “acoustic trap” means residents will not just hear the noise—they will feel it.

It’s a phenomenon already documented in the area. A 2015 environmental statement for the neighboring North Mole Power Station noted that operational noise from that facility posed a “high” risk of disturbance to “residential and non-residential receptors,” specifically mentioning Waterport Terrace. The 15MW diesel station that ran close to Waterport Terrace from 1982 to 2020 was a living nightmare for residents. Its infamous noise pollution was a daily assault on their peace. The new data center, with its massive cooling infrastructure, threatens to be far worse.

The U.S. Blueprint: A Crisis of Lawsuits and Lost Value

The United States, the global capital of data infrastructure, is currently facing a massive civil revolt against this exact problem. This isn’t a local skirmish—it’s a systemic crisis.

In Mississippi, the battle against data center pollution has taken two forms. The NAACP has filed a lawsuit over unpermitted air emissions from the gas turbines powering xAI’s Colossus facility. But for the residents of Southaven, the immediate crisis is something else entirely: a class-action lawsuit over “omnipresent and inescapable” noise—a constant drone they compare to a “jet engine” that has eroded their health and home values. In April 2026, NBC News traveled to Mississippi to report on the $20 billion xAI project, where local residents voiced the same fears: noise, environmental damage, and the slow destruction of their quality of life.

This is not an isolated event. In Dowagiac, Michigan, a similar class-action lawsuit was filed against Hyperscale Data, Inc., with attorneys estimating around 100 affected residents attended their first informational forum. The lawsuit alleges the facility’s noise has been a “physical invasion” of neighboring properties. Residents described the sound using words like “whining,” “annoying,” and “invasive,” with many saying it has led to migraines and fundamentally altered their enjoyment of their homes.

This pattern of litigation shows a clear link between industrial-scale data centers, constant low-frequency noise, and a collapse in the quality of life and property values for those living nearby. Homes within a mile of these sites can lose 15-20% of their market value. For the residents of Waterport Terraces, whose flats are not premium real estate but more affordable housing, the emergence of a 250MW industrial complex outside their windows threatens to turn their neighborhood from a waterside community into an industrial support zone.

When the Ocean’s Hum Is Replaced by Industry’s Drone: Who Defends the Residents?

This brings us to the crucial question: who is enabling this project? As we previously detailed, the Pelagos project is not just an engineering challenge; it’s a legal and political construction. The project’s Chairman, Konstantin Sokolov, has assembled a team with deep experience in clearing regulatory hurdles quietly. While the marketing pitch boasts an “eco-friendly, off-grid” facility, the reality of being off-grid means building a gas-turbine power plant just meters from family living rooms—a detail conveniently omitted from the press releases. When the inevitable noise complaints come—and they will—that same legal machinery will be deployed to defend the project against the claims of the 492 flats.

And it’s here that the story comes full circle. The primary argument of the U.S. lawsuits is a simple, common-law right: the right to the quiet enjoyment of one’s home. The sound of the sea, the breeze through the window—these are not luxuries; they are the substance of domestic life. The data center offers a different soundtrack: the relentless, low-frequency drone of industrial cooling, a hum that does not rise and fall with the tides but continues 24/7/365.

The residents of Waterport Terraces have a right to their peace and quiet. The data center has a right to operate. But right now, the balance is tilted entirely in favor of the project and its legal backers. If the Gibraltar data center is allowed to operate without adequate mitigation, it will establish a dangerous precedent: that industry can be placed wall-to-wall with housing, and that the sound of the sea matters less than the sound of servers.

This is a story we will continue to follow closely.

Credits:

• HM Government of Gibraltar. (2015, July). New Power Station, North Mole, Gibraltar: Environmental Statement, Volume 1: Main Report (Part 3 of 4). https://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/new/sites/default/files/HMGoG_Documents/North%20Mole%20Power%20Station%20-%20Engain%20Environmental%20Statement%20Volume%201%20Main%20Report%20%28Part%203%20of%204%29.pdf
• Gour, S., Ortiz, M. M., & Maibach, E. (2026). Health implications of the rapid rise of data centers in Virginia: an exploratory assessment. Frontiers in Climate. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/climate/articles/10.3389/fclim.2026.1500122/full
• Thakre, C., & Vijay, R. (2024). Impact of low-frequency noise on a residential zone due to commercial HVAC systems. Journal of Building Engineering, 91 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.109616
• Holeček, N. (2025). A CASE STUDY OF LOW-FREQUENCY NOISE. Facta Universitatis, Series: Working and Living Environmental Protection. https://doi.org/10.22190/FUWLEP2501001H
• Kostick, H. (2026, June 21). No One Likes Data Center Noise Pollution – The Zoo Animals Won’t Either. University of Pennsylvania. https://web.sas.upenn.edu/pcssm/commentary/no-one-likes-data-center-noise-pollution-the-zoo-animals-wont-either/
• Neitzel, R. (2025). Data center noise won’t be regulated in Lancaster, PA. Exposure Research Lab, University of Michigan. https://exposureresearchlab.org/2025/09/15/data-center-noise-wont-be-regulated-in-lancaster-pa/

July 02, 2026

In the close-knit community of Gibraltar, where personal connections often carry significant weight, a major £1.8 billion data centre project has brought attention to local representation.

Pelagos Data Centres / Northern Pillar Energy, led by investor Konstantin Sokolov, has appointed Christian J. A. Ryan as President for Gibraltar Operations. In November 2025, Ryan participated in a meeting with Donald Trump Jr. in Gibraltar, discussing the Pelagos project. The meeting was held at the offices of Hassans International Law Firm.

His photographs from official project events closely match those on his personal Facebook profile, where he appears with his wife and children as a family man from Gibraltar.

The Official Biography

According to the company’s website, Christian J. A. Ryan brings extensive experience in design and construction management, particularly in the defence sector. The bio states he joined the UK Ministry of Defence in 2005, worked with SERCO Defence, INTERSERVE Defence, and MITIE Defence, participated in post-earthquake assessments in Nepal in 2015, and held oversight roles in MOD estate maintenance until 2024. He is also credited with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Greenwich.

However, despite thorough searches across public records, news archives, and professional databases, no independent verification of these professional milestones has been found outside the Northern Pillar Energy website itself.

The Family Connection

What is well documented is Christian’s family background. On the Facebook page of Alfred Ryan, Christian Ryan (The middle initial ‘A’ in Christian J. A. Ryan almost certainly stands for Alfred), in keeping with the common British tradition of sons receiving their father’s name as a middle name) is listed as his son. The two profiles are directly connected.

Alfred Ryan’s page also shows “Masonic Network” as one of his liked pages — appearing prominently among his interests.

The District Grand Lodge of Gibraltar

The District Grand Lodge of Gibraltar, operating under the United Grand Lodge of England, is one of the oldest and most historically significant overseas Masonic districts, with roots dating back to the early 18th century and playing a notable role in the English Masonic tradition abroad.

Alfred Henry Ryan himself is a long-standing figure in Gibraltar:

• Fact #1. While a direct document explicitly linking the cemetery superintendent’s position to his full name could not be retrieved, a search query on the official Gibraltar Government website confirms that records of ‘Alfred Henry Ryan’ were previously hosted on their cemetery contact pages. He served as Superintendent / Records Superintendent of North Front Cemetery for 50 years, retiring in August 2020. In the 2021 Budget Speech, Minister John Cortes stated:

“I must also pay tribute and thank the former cemetery superintendent, Alfred Ryan, who retired in August 2020 after 50 years of service and dedication to our community.”

• Fact #2. From September 2007 to November 2021, RW Bro (Right Worshipful Brother) Alfred Henry Ryan served as District Grand Master of the District Grand Lodge of Gibraltar (English Constitution), Inhabitants’ Lodge 153 — one of the highest positions in local Freemasonry.

Significance of the Masonic Role

In a small jurisdiction like Gibraltar, the position of District Grand Master carries considerable social and networking influence within the local establishment. The fraternity has deep historical roots on the Rock, dating back centuries, and often intersects with business, government, and community leadership circles.

No Conclusions, Just Facts

The visual match between Christian Ryan’s official appearances and his personal Facebook profile, as well as between the man pictured on the Masonic lodge website and Alfred Ryan’s Facebook presence, is consistent. However, we cannot state with absolute certainty that the individual in the Masonic lodge photograph is Alfred Henry Ryan, nor that Alfred Ryan is definitively the father of Christian Ryan. In the absence of official documentation confirming the relationship — such as a birth certificate or a direct statement from the individuals involved — these remain strong indications, not proven facts.

We present these verified connections not as accusations, but as context worth noting. In Gibraltar, where everyone seems to know everyone, such links are rarely surprising — yet they remain relevant when a foreign-led multi-billion project selects its primary local representative.

The reader can decide what weight to give these overlapping facts.

Credits:

• Gibraltar Government Press Release / Budget Speech 2021 (Minister John Cortes) https://www.yourgibraltartv.com/politics/23805-minister-john-cortes-budget-address-2021
• Change at the top of District Grand Lodge of Gibraltar English Constitution https://www.chronicle.gi/change-at-the-top-of-district-grand-lodge-of-gibraltar-english-constitution/
• District Grand Lodge of Gibraltar website – Inhabitants’ Lodge 153 https://gibfreemasonry.gi/welcome/lodge153.html
• Public Facebook profile of Alfred Ryan https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=906040542&sk=about

• Public Facebook profile of Alfred Ryan and Christian J.A. Ryan https://www.facebook.com/christian.ryan2
• Public Facebook profiles of District Grand Lodge & Chapter of Gibraltar https://www.facebook.com/GibFreemasonry

June 25, 2026

No major project moves in Gibraltar without the machinery of Hassans International Law Firm, the territory’s dominant legal player. Three names are particularly relevant.

According to former Gibraltar lawyer Robert Vasquez, three key figures from Hassans are visible in the official photographs surrounding the Pelagos Data Centre announcement: Fabian Picardo (Chief Minister and former Hassans partner), Tony Provasoli (Hassans consultant), and James Levy CBE KC (Hassans senior partner).

Fabian Picardo, the Chief Minister who announced the Pelagos project, is not a politician who occasionally consults lawyers. He is a lawyer. Before entering politics, Picardo was a partner at Hassans for a decade. He remains a barrister. But his role in the Pelagos project must be read against the backdrop of the McGrail Inquiry (December 2025). The McGrail Inquiry sharply criticised Picardo’s conduct, describing aspects of his intervention as “grossly improper” and “sinister” when he summoned the police commissioner to his office in a “frenzy of rage” — specifically to protect James Levy from a search warrant. The judge concluded that Picardo was acting not for Gibraltar’s reputation, but “to protect Mr Levy, his lifelong friend and mentor.”

Tony Provasoli, a consultant at Hassans, has been the legal adviser to the Gibraltar Government on privatisations and telecoms. He has also acted for Gibtelecom. The man who wrote the rules on telecoms and state assets is now positioned to advise a data centre that needs both. Unlike Picardo and Levy, Provasoli does not appear in the McGrail scandal. But his role is quietly more important: he knows exactly how Gibraltar’s regulatory framework operates because he helped shape parts of it.

Then there is James Levy CBE KC, the firm’s senior partner. Levy is not a lawyer. He is the lawyer. He advised the government on developing Gibraltar as a finance centre, on anti-money laundering legislation, and on banking and insurance laws. He is described in legal directories as “a once-in-a-generation lawyer” and “the quintessential solution provider”. In plain English, if a project requires a legal framework to be expanded, amended, or interpreted in novel ways, Levy is the man. But his name also appears in the McGrail Inquiry. The police obtained a search warrant for Hassans offices in connection with an alleged conspiracy to misappropriate a national security contract. Levy was a beneficiary of the company (36 North Limited) that bid for that contract — while Picardo, as Chief Minister, was in a position to influence the outcome. Levy was formally eliminated from the suspect list in October 2020. But the stain remains.

The Pelagos Data Centres is not just an engineering challenge. It is a legal and political construction. Picardo provides the political cover. Provasoli manages the regulatory plumbing. Levy solves the intractable problems. The renders come from UPP. The enabling architecture comes from Hassans.

For US/Armenia/Russia businessman Konstantin Sokolov, this is the dream team. Picardo can open doors that remain closed to most applicants.  Provasoli knows every regulatory shortcut. Levy has a reputation for finding solutions to problems others consider impossible.

What Hassans Will Likely Solve for Pelagos

A project of this size cannot happen in Gibraltar without legal engineering. Here is what Fabian Picardo, Tony Provasoli, and James Levy bring to the table.

1. Land where there is no land

The renders show buildings on marine columns. Legally, this is not “land” in the traditional sense. Territorial waters are Crown land, not private property. The government can grant a marine lease or a concession over the seabed without a public tender. No demolition costs. No compensation to existing tenants. No land acquisition budget. Hassans knows exactly which clauses in the 2009 Development Plan are silent about “construction over water” — and how to make use of that silence.

2. Tax incentives without parliamentary debate

Gibraltar already offers attractive corporate tax rates (12.5% standard). But for a £1.8 billion investment, Pelagos will expect more — definitely much less. Hassans can structure the project as a “qualifying company” under Gibraltar’s tax laws, potentially reducing the effective rate. They have done this before for gaming companies and financial institutions.

Gibraltar did not become home to Bet365, 888, William Hill and dozens of other gaming operators by accident. The legal framework was deliberately built to attract them. Readers may also recall that Konstantin Sokolov is not entirely unfamiliar with the gaming industry. In 2025, the SPAC on whose board he served completed the acquisition of Gamehaus, a publisher of casino-style slot and bingo games previously examined by this archive.

The enabling legislation already exists. It just needs to be applied — quietly, through administrative guidance rather than a public vote.

3. Quiet insertion into the Development Plan

The new Gibraltar Development Plan was promised for 2025 but has not appeared. Perfect timing. When it finally emerges, the North Mole Industrial Park zone may have been reclassified to permit “high-tech infrastructure” or “strategic energy facilities” — language that conveniently covers a 250MW data centre. Potentially limiting the scope of public consultation required if it is framed as a “technical correction”. Levy has advised the government on planning law for decades. He knows which paragraphs to rewrite and who to ask.

4. Aviation height exemption

The 25-metre limit exists. But Waterport Terrace (9 storeys) already exceeds it. The 48-metre residential tower was approved after an aeronautical study. Hassans will help Pelagos commission its own study, hire the right consultants, and present the findings to the Development & Planning Commission. The precedent is set. The legal path is cleared. Provasoli has sat on government boards. He understands the decision-making process better than most.

5. Fast-tracked permitting without public scrutiny

The Government Development Projects website contains no information about Pelagos. That is not an oversight. Hassans can advise Pelagos to submit applications under commercial confidentiality provisions, bypassing the normal public register. The first time residents learn about the project may be when construction barges arrive. By then, it will be too late to object.

6. Energy supply without competition

Pelagos needs power. The North Mole Power Station is state-owned. Hassans can structure a private wire arrangement or a long-term PPA that never goes to tender. “Off-grid” in the press release means “connected directly to the state power plant without going through the retail market”. Provasoli has advised the government on privatisations. He knows how to write contracts that comply with procurement rules while achieving the desired outcome.

7. Zero or minimal import duties on equipment

A 250MW data centre requires thousands of tonnes of equipment: generators, cooling systems, servers, batteries, transformers, liquid cooling infrastructure, electrical switchgear. Gibraltar is not a manufacturing centre. Almost everything will be imported. Standard customs duties would add millions to the project cost.

Hassans can structure the project under Gibraltar’s “qualifying company” regime or negotiate a bespoke duty suspension agreement with the government. The legal basis already exists: Gibraltar’s Customs and Excise Act allows for duty relief on goods imported for approved industrial or strategic projects. The Chief Minister’s office can designate Pelagos as such a project — quietly, without legislation. No parliamentary vote required. Just an administrative decision. Provasoli has advised the government on exactly these mechanisms.

8. Streamlined work permits for foreign technicians

Building and operating a 250MW data centre requires specialists Gibraltar does not have: electrical engineers with HVDC experience, cooling system designers, AI infrastructure architects. Hassans can negotiate a fast-track work permit system for Pelagos personnel. Potentially simplified recruitment and immigration procedures for specialist personnel.  Just a letter from the government confirming “strategic importance”. Levy has advised on immigration rules for financial services. The same template applies.

9. Exemption from energy efficiency regulations (irony intended)

The project promises a PUE of 1.2, which is excellent. But if it fails to meet that target, Hassans can ensure there are no penalties. Gibraltar’s building regulations include energy performance standards. But “strategic infrastructure” can be exempted. The same legal mechanism used for the North Mole Power Station itself can be applied to Pelagos. Regulate the competition, exempt the favoured project.

10. Confidentiality orders on all planning documents

No information about Pelagos exists on the Government Development Projects website. That is not an accident. Hassans can secure a non-publication order for all planning applications, citing “commercial sensitivity” or “national security” (data centres are critical infrastructure). The public never sees the environmental impact assessment. Never reads the aeronautical study. Never learns about the seabed lease terms. Transparency laws exist. Exemptions also exist. Levy knows exactly which box to tick.

11. Limitation of liability

When — not if — something fails, Pelagos does not want to face full lawsuits. Hassans can negotiate a statutory cap on liability or a government-backed indemnity, limiting payouts to a token amount. Levy has extensive experience drafting complex government and commercial agreements. The government will not let a lawsuit kill a £1.8 billion project.

In our next article, we will take a closer look at the man who runs Gibraltar operations for Konstantin Sokolov — a figure whose public résumé is thin, but whose local connections run deep.

Credits:

• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/23/fabian-picardo-gibraltar-chief-minister-sinister-interventions-police-inquiry
• https://www.gbc.gi/news/inquiry-report-accuses-chief-minister-of-improper-attempts-to-interfere-in-a-criminal-investigation
• https://www.chronicle.gi/cm-attempted-grossly-improper-interference-in-police-investigation-mcgrail-inquiry-report-says/
• https://www.chronicle.gi/hassans-and-levy-welcome-inquiry-findings-on-op-delhi/
• https://beta.legal500.com/firms/10295-hassans/c-gibraltar/lawyers/588240-tony-provasoli/
• https://rozenberg.substack.com/p/gibraltar-rocked-cc0
• https://www.gibraltarlaw.com/
• https://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/press-releases/pelagos-data-centres-unveils-ambitious-plan-for-new-250mw-facility-near-the-port-of-gibraltar-6412025-11196

June 19, 2026

A data centre of the scale proposed by Pelagos needs three things: connectivity, space, and power. A 250MW facility of this size requires access to major international broadband capacity, not just local networks. The renders show a 250MW campus. The numbers show a project that does not add up. Let’s examine each of the three legs.

Connectivity: The One Thing That Works

Ensuring direct and immediate access to a high-capacity fibre-optic cable is a critical prerequisite for the project’s infrastructure. Less than one kilometre from the proposed Pelagos location, the Europe India Gateway (EIG) submarine cable branches into Gibraltar. This is not a minor regional link. It is a 15,000-kilometre fibre-optic network spanning three continents, with a total capacity of 28 Terabits per second. The cable connects Gibraltar westward to the UK via Portugal, and eastward to France (Marseille), Monaco, and on to India.

The landing station of the Europe India Gateway (EIG) submarine cable at Ocean Village in the Bay of Gibraltar is managed by Gibtelecom, the national provider. Gibtelecom is a founder member of the EIG consortium and the only operator in Gibraltar with direct ownership and access to the system. Consequently, the successful realization of the Pelagos project is entirely dependent on establishing a close and strategic partnership with Gibtelecom.

Space: 250MW on 9,000 Square Metres

In the previous article, “Pelagos Data Centre: Built on Water,” we analysed publicly available renders, maps and site photographs and estimated the usable footprint at approximately 9,000 square metres. How much space does a modern data centre need? Industry benchmarks from real projects show the following density metrics:

Project	Power	Building Area	Density (kW/sqm)
Start Campus, Portugal (one building)	90 MW	~45,000 sqm	2.0 kW/sqm
Merlin Properties, Madrid	20 MW (phase 1)	~43,000 sqm (full campus)	up to 2.3 kW/sqm
CloudHQ Paris	160 MW	~65,000 sqm	2.4 kW/sqm
Ark Alliance, London	75 MW	~42,000 sqm	1.8 kW/sqm

The industry range is between 1.8 and 2.4 kW per square metre. The average is approximately 2.1 kW/sqm. Apply that average to Pelagos.

Applying an average density of approximately 2.1 kW/sqm derived from comparable projects suggests a requirement of roughly 119,000 sqm.

British and European standards (notably BS EN 50600-2-1) define the clear height — the usable space inside the server room.

The total height from floor to floor (slab-to-slab) is built from three layers: a raised floor for air and cables (0.6–1.0 metres), the clear server space (3.0–4.0 metres), and overhead space for pipes and cables (0.9–1.5 metres).

The final requirements are straightforward:

• Small server rooms: minimum 4.5 metres total.
• Standard commercial data centres: 5.0–5.5 metres.
• High-density AI / hyperscale facilities: up to 6.0 metres per floor.

For a project like Pelagos, which claims to compete in the hyperscale market, 5 metres per floor is the baseline industry standard — not an exaggeration. Anything less would force them to abandon standard rack layouts or risk overheating.

Based on a 9,000-square-metre footprint, a building with a standard industrial floor height of 5 metres per level would require 13 storeys. This translates into a 65-metre industrial skyscraper—equivalent to an 18-to-22-storey residential building. Construction of this magnitude and height is unprecedented for the territory of Gibraltar.

 In 2015, when the North Mole gas station was designed, the aviation authority imposed a hard 25-metre limit on the chimney stack. The official document states: “The stacks will be 25 m in height, abiding to height limits imposed for the operation of the Gibraltar International Airport.”

But there are precedents. Waterport Terrace residential complex is 9 storeys — approximately 27–32 metres — and is already built and occupied. In December 2019, the Development & Planning Commission approved a 15–16 storey residential tower (48 metres) on Devil’s Tower Road after an aeronautical study. The vote was 10 in favour, 1 against.

Height restrictions are currently regulated under the Town Planning Act 2018 and the 2009 Development Plan. A new Development Plan was promised for 2025 but has not appeared. When it does, rules may be revised. But in Gibraltar, almost everything is negotiable if you have the right legal team and political support.  

Power: 250MW vs. 15-30MW

Pelagos claims it will be “powered independently from Gibraltar’s grid using a mix of renewable energy and LNG.” The LNG points directly to the North Mole Power Station — the state-owned, state-operated plant that is Gibraltar’s only source of electricity.

Let us do the math properly, including the industry reality of PUE. The project promises a PUE of 1.2. That means for every 1 MW of IT load, the facility requires 1.2 MW of total electrical power. The remaining 0.2 MW goes to cooling, UPS losses, transformers, and lighting.

The full 250 MW IT load requires 300 MW of total power.

Now look at what Gibraltar actually has.

• North Mole Power Station total capacity: ~86 MW
• Gibraltar’s peak demand (city + industry): ~36 MW daily peak.
• Required operating reserve for the city: 20% of peak load = ~7.2 MW.
• Available power for a new commercial user before its own reserve: 86 – 36 – 7.2 = ~42.8 MW.
• But the data centre itself also requires reserve. A constant 250 MW load is not flexible. Even for a modest first phase, the operator must maintain 20% reserve. That is ~8.6 MW of the 42.8 MW available.
• Net available power for IT load: 86 – 36 – 7.2 – 8.6 = ~34.2 MW total power.
• With a PUE of 1.2, that supports ~28 MW of IT load.

A first-phase IT load of 28 MW would represent the maximum real capacity under current grid constraints, a figure that would effectively exhaust all available power surplus from the North Mole Power Station. In reality, operational deployment could scale anywhere from an initial 1 MW. To put this in perspective, Gibraltar’s existing data centres are internal facilities with modest footprints, each requiring less than 3 MW to operate. For instance, Continent 8 operates at approximately 2–3 MW, while Rockolo runs at around 2.1 MW. We estimate the total combined capacity of all existing data centres in Gibraltar to be roughly 6–8 MW. If the first phase remains small and incremental, it might prove viable within the local grid constraints. But scaling to the full, proposed 250 MW? That is an entirely different story.

The Bottom Line

• Internet: Available. The EIG cable is less than one kilometre away. Pelagos needs to negotiate with Gibtelecom .
• Space: Enough for one building, one phase, if the phase is modest. Not enough for 250 MW unless you build a 65-metre skyscraper under the flight path. Height limits are negotiable, but precedent has limits. Building a skyscraper of this scale on reclaimed land (waterfront), within an extremely confined site and adjacent to an active runway, is highly unrealistic from both an engineering and operational standpoint.
• Power: Less than 34 MW of spare electrical capacity exists. That supports a first phase of just under 28 MW IT load — not 50 MW, and certainly not 250 MW.

In upcoming articles, we will investigate who is pushing the Pelagos project for Konstantin Sokolov — and where the independent 300 MW of electricity required for the data centre is expected to come from. Stay tuned.

Credits:

• Gibtelecom Global Private Network / EIG cable — background on Gibraltar’s fibre connectivity and the Europe India Gateway system. https://www.gibtele.com/uploads/business/data-sheets/datasheet-Global-Private-Network.pdf
• Europe India Gateway (EIG) overview — independent description of the EIG submarine cable system and its route. https://www.submarinenetworks.com/en/systems/asia-europe-africa/eig

• Gibraltar Government press release on Pelagos Data Centres — official announcement of the 250MW project near the Port of Gibraltar. https://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/press-releases/pelagos-data-centres-unveils-ambitious-plan-for-new-250mw-facility-near-the-port-of-gibraltar

• Pelagos Data Centres coverage by Data Centre Magazine — industry reporting on the proposed 250MW facility. https://datacentremagazine.com/news/pelagos-data-centres-new-250mw-facility-port-of-gibraltar

• North Mole Power Station / Gibraltar energy supply — reference for Gibraltar’s installed generation capacity and local power context. https://www.gea.gi/gea/who-we-are

• Devil’s Tower Road planning approval — reference point for high-rise development and planning precedent in Gibraltar. https://www.gbc.gi/news/21-storey-building-92-devils-tower-road-receives-full-planning-permission

• UK data centre standards and guidance — British and European standards used for data centre design, including BS EN 50600-2-1 and related UK practice on clear height, floor loading, and infrastructure planning. https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2014-00645 https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/standards/bs-en-50600-2-1/

June 11, 2026

The Gibraltar Government announced its largest ambitious infrastructure project in history on 4 September 2025. Pelagos Data Centres, backed by the local government, unveiled plans for a 250MW off-grid data centre campus near the Port of Gibraltar. The North Mole Industrial Park — a multi-unit commercial and parking complex on North Mole Road in the Westside area — is the proposed location. The project is scheduled in five phases, with the first expected in late 2027. That first phase could deliver anywhere from 1MW to an unspecified higher capacity. The developer claims the facility will feature both liquid and air cooling systems and will be powered independently from Gibraltar’s grid using a mix of renewable energy and liquefied natural gas (LNG). A public leisure facility is also planned on-site. What makes the project unusual is not what it promises, but where and how. Let us examine the land plot location.

UPP Renders: Pictures First, Questions Later

London-based UPP Architects + Town Planners, led by former Foster + Partners architect Miguel Muñoz, produced pre-concept renders of the data centre and public facilities in late 2025. They were presented by Konstantin Sokolov to the Chief Minister, The Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP. The images show three constructions — a promenade, a lower building, and the data centre building itself — all on marine columns built over the water, with a new promenade running along the Waterport Terrace residential complex. High-resolution pictures are available on the government’s website.

Memorial Address Location

The business address of the data centre is listed as Neil Piñero Rd, GX11 1AA, Gibraltar. Neil Piñero Road was formerly known as Emerson’s Place. The name changed in 2020. The road was renamed after Neil Piñero, a 30-year-old customs officer who died at this location in October 2017. He suffered a heart attack while on active duty. Natural causes. But he died at his post. That matters in Gibraltar.

The memorial was unveiled on 3 November 2020 . The ceremony was small. Attending were Piñero’s parents, his sisters, and the Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo . The Chief Minister described the afternoon as “difficult” and “emotional”. He noted that it was “particularly difficult for the family to return to the spot where their son died while on duty that night” .

A memorial plaque now stands on the roadside, closer to the sea. The Customs training centre was also renamed in his honour.

Looking for the Land Plot, not on the Rock but on the Sea

Our team reviewed the UPP drawings and the existing territory of North Mole Industrial Park. We could not find 20,000 square metres of available land at the North Mole territory free of existing constructions. We searched the Town Planning website and found no published information about demolitions of existing buildings.

The proposed construction site is physically enclosed between:

1. the Waterport Terraces residential complex;
2. freight and logistics unit (Units 1, North Mole, Gibraltar, GX11 1AA)
3. freight and logistics unit (Units 3, North Mole, Gibraltar, GX11 1AA)
4. freight and logistics unit (Units 5, North Mole, Gibraltar, GX11 1AA)
5. freight and logistics unit (Units 6, North Mole, Gibraltar, GX11 1AA)
6. the North Mole Power Station – Gibraltar’s main power plant,
7. runway of Gibraltar International Airport (Note: Aircraft can approach and land from both directions (from either the east over the Mediterranean Sea or the west over the Bay of Gibraltar), depending entirely on the prevailing wind conditions).

Based on publicly available maps, published renders, and the absence of announced demolitions, we could not identify sufficient existing land to support the stated 20,000 sq m plot.

Our team, based on the renderings and site constraints, estimates that the total marine-adjacent area is approximately 16,000 square metres, including the promenade and all buildings. The actual data centre footprint is closer to 8,000-9,000 square metres. The distance to the airport glide path would be reduced by approximately 34 metres, bringing it to less than 100 metres from both the glide path and the runway’s obstacle limitation surfaces.

Gibraltar’s Town Planning: 2009 Rules in a 2025 World

Gibraltar’s 2009 Development Plan is the main legal document governing all construction on the territory. Every project requires planning permission from the Development & Planning Commission. However, the system allows for individual, case-by-case decisions — especially for large developments with government backing. Political support can unlock approvals, even when the formal plan is outdated or silent.

Gibraltar’s Town Planning Department, working with consultants from Lichfields UK, is currently reviewing the existing 2009 Development Plan. A new version was promised for 2025, but it has not yet appeared. For now, the territory continues to operate under the 2009 rules. What will the new plan include? It is supposed to set out the vision, objectives, and strategic policies for Gibraltar over the next 10 to 15 years, covering housing, transport, health, economic strategy, and climate change mitigation.

These policies will provide developers with clear design principles and define the government’s expectations for new development in the Northern District area — including tall buildings, when proposed. Crucially, the current draft does not include the North Mole Industrial Park zone, though some changes may be possible.

Naturally, there is no information about the Pelagos project on the Government Development Projects website. Nothing at all.

Conclusion: Seven Findings

Our team has carefully reviewed the UPP design and the location of existing buildings, and reached the following conclusions:

1. We could not find a 20,000 square metre land plot within the North Mole Industrial Park for the data centre.
2. We found no information about the demolition or removal of existing structures at North Mole Industrial Park.
3. The Neil Piñero Memorial is located within the area examined in this review of the proposed development site.
4. The published renders suggest that significant parts of the project would be located on reclaimed land or marine-supported structures.
5. The total sea-side area is approximately 16,000 square metres at most, including the promenade and data centre buildings. The distance to the airport glide path is reduced by at least 35 metres.
6. Our estimate of the actual data centre building footprint on the water is approximately 8,000-9,000 square metres.
7. The facility is to be built in immediate proximity to the North Mole Power Plant.