MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Hundreds march in Gibraltar against Pelagos data center plan and demand transparency

Protesters gathered at Casemates Square on Saturday before marching along Main Street to Convent Place, where they delivered a letter to Economic Development Minister Sir Joe Bossano

This Saturday, there was a demonstration at Casemates Square organised to express public discontent with the endless construction projects in Gibraltar and the proposed mega data centre in particular.

Over 400 people gathered at 11:00 a.m., highlighting a wide range of grievances, from housing and environmental concerns to Government transparency and accountability.

The protest was addressed by the organiser, local activist Kaelan Joyce.

The demonstrators then marched down Main Street to Convent Place, where a letter setting out their complaints and grievances was delivered to Government Minister Sir Joe Bossano.

The main focus of the demonstration was the initiative by Pelagos Data Centres, which has applied for planning approval for a £1.8 billion data centre campus to be constructed on reclaimed land in the Port of Gibraltar.

The project's final power consumption is estimated at 250 megawatts (MW), starting in 2027 with five development phases finishing in 2033. The company has stated that it will not use the existing Gibraltar power infrastructure, which in any event does not have sufficient capacity.

While backed by the Government of Gibraltar as a transformative economic leap, the project has sparked local debate and strong opposition. Environmental organizations, including the Environmental Safety Group (ESG) and other community groups, have called for enhanced scrutiny, independent environmental impact assessments, and clear transparency regarding emissions, fuel sourcing, and land use. In response, developers maintain that off-grid power generation and advanced design will minimize local environmental impact while adhering to net-zero operational targets.

Gibraltar is one of the most densely populated territories in the world, ranking consistently among the top five globally. With a total land area of approximately 6.8 square kilometres (2.6 square miles) and a population of over 40,000 residents, its overall density exceeds 5,000 to 6,000 people per square kilometre.

However, the effective population density is significantly higher than these baseline figures suggest. Roughly 40% of Gibraltar's land mass consists of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve—an unpopulated, steep limestone promontory where development is restricted. Consequently, nearly the entire resident population is concentrated in urban areas along the western side of the peninsula, such as Westside and the historic Town Area. In addition, 15,000 workers cross daily into Gibraltar from neighbouring Spain, along with thousands of tourists, drastically raising the daytime human density.

Whilst Pelagos talks about using ‘renewable energy’, there is no space for a solar farm or wind generation facility in Gibraltar; in order to ensure continuity of supply, massive local generating capacity using fossil fuels would be needed.

While mega data centres involve significant capital investment and short-term construction employment, their ongoing operations require relatively few permanent employees (often fewer than 100 on-site technicians and security personnel for a multi-acre complex). Local communities sometimes feel the massive physical footprint does not yield proportional economic or employment benefits compared to traditional commercial developments.

Given the proximity to housing developments, there is considerable concern about noise. Data centre noise is relentless. Because Gibraltar’s dramatic landscape consists of a massive limestone ridge (the Rock of Gibraltar), sound reflects and reverberates rather than dissipating over flat ground.

Constant low-frequency hums (30–200 Hz) penetrate concrete walls, double-glazed windows, and structural foundations much more effectively than high-pitched sounds.

How this can be controlled is as much a mystery as where the electricity and water for cooling are coming from.