THE DATA CENTRE INTERVIEW
“ A prime example is Elea’ s Rio AI City,” says Alessandro.“ What makes Rio AI City a pioneer is its focus on environmental sustainability and innovation. This is a key part of the project’ s design and operation, as well as Elea’ s strategy.
“ The entire complex, initially with an energy capacity of 1.5 GW, will eventually expand to 3.2 GW and be supplied with 100 % renewable and certified energy. This leverages Brazil’ s clean energy matrix, where more than 80 % of the electricity comes from renewable sources and sets a new global benchmark for sustainable digital infrastructure.
The project also uses waterless cooling systems, a critical solution for highdensity AI applications, to drastically reduce environmental impact. By relying on high-efficiency direct air systems, it eliminates the need for potable water consumption. Heat from the servers and IT equipment is dissipated directly into the atmosphere, making water consumption unnecessary.
“ Rio AI City is an ecosystem of data centres located in the Olympic Park region of Rio de Janeiro, a hub
30 September 2025