Contract with Casa dos Ventos will supply R$ 200 billion technological complex in the Pecém Export Processing Zone
a data center company controlled by Pátria Investimentos, signed a US$2 billion (R$11 billion) agreement with the renewable generator Casa dos Ventos to supply energy to the technological complex it is building in Ceará for the Chinese ByteDance, owner of TikTok.
The project, located in the ZPE (Export Processing Zone of the Pecém Port Complex), is the social network’s first large data center in Latin America and the largest under development in the country aimed at a single customer.
The total estimated investment in the structure is R$200 billion over the next 10 years.
SELF-PRODUCTION AND EXPANSION
The contract has a term of 20 years and was structured under the energy self-production model. In this format, Omnia becomes a partner in the Casa dos Ventos generation parks, which guarantees exemption from charges, tariff benefits and more competitive input costs. The exact shareholding acquired by the companies was not disclosed.
Most of the energy will come from the Ibiapaba Wind Complex, with a capacity of 630 MW in Ceará, currently under construction by Casa dos Ventos, which counts TotalEnergies as a shareholder and participated in the initial development of the data center. A smaller portion of consumption will be met by the Dom Inocêncio wind farm, located in Piauí.
For Casa dos Ventos, the contract is the largest ever signed with a single client and will support the expansion plan for its wind and solar generating park. The company estimates an increase of 2.1 GW in its installed capacity, requiring total contributions of R$11 billion.
According to Lucas Araripe, executive director of the generator, data centers are the company’s main growth segment, which has also signed recent partnerships with Ascenty, Brookfield and Digital Realty.
The 1st phase of the ByteDance project will have 200 MW (megawatts) of IT capacity, with an estimated energy consumption of around 300 MW, enough to supply 2.2 million people.
According to the companies, the operation will operate with 100% clean energy and new production, a requirement of the National Council of ZPEs for the granting of tax benefits, ensuring that the project does not compete for energy already used by the local population nor put pressure on tariffs.
GLOBAL CONNECTION
Occupying an area of 34 hectares close to the CE-348 highway, between the municipalities of Caucaia and São Gonçalo do Amarante, in the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza, the data center will be exclusively for the export of services, processing data from users residing outside Brazil.
The choice of Porto do Pecém is part of a long-term strategy led by Omnia CEO, Rodrigo Abreu, to transform the region into a global campus of hyperscale data centers.
The location takes advantage of the proximity to the hub of submarine fiber optic cables that reach Fortaleza, offering one of the shortest and fastest internet routes from Brazil towards Europe and Africa.
Brazil leads this position in South America by bringing together connection speed, an interconnected national network and high potential for renewable generation in the Northeast.
WORK SCHEDULE
Work on the complex began on January 6, 2026. Currently, work is in the preliminary phase of preparing the land, including vegetation management and initial earthmoving services.
The data center is expected to begin operating in the 3rd quarter of 2027, gradually expanding its activities until 2029.
According to estimates by the National Council of ZPEs, a body linked to the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, the operation will create 550 direct and indirect jobs, in addition to another 3,800 jobs during the infrastructure works.
COOLING AND LICENSING
Because it operates large servers, also called rackscontinuously in rooms called data hallsthe structure needs a powerful cooling system.
In the project of TikTokthe machines will be cooled through a closed circuit system.
In it, water absorbs heat from equipment and, after contact with air, is cooled and recirculated continuously, without substantial external losses.
The installation of the complex was criticized by socio-environmental associations, who question the use of water resources and the impacts on indigenous communities living around the port. The land is located approximately 2 km from Lagoa do Cauípe, an important regional water body.
In response, Omnia’s CEO stated that the project is fully licensed and has met all requirements of state and federal environmental authorities.
The project has LP (Preliminary), LI (Installation) and LO (Operation) licenses, granted by Semace (State Superintendence for the Environment of Ceará), the data processor, the electrical substation and the road accesses.
Rodrigo Abreu pointed out that the closed circuit system requires a minimum use of water. The complex will consume a maximum of 30,000 liters per day, of which only 10%, equivalent to the cost of 7 homes, will be used for cooling.
In total, the complex’s general water consumption, which includes cooking, cleaning and building use, will be restricted to the level of 40 to 50 homes.
The executive also said that the company launched local hiring and technical training programs to reduce impacts and develop the region.
