What's Happening
The installation of the first data center in the Amazon, BEL1, by Elea Data Centers, is being questioned by the Public Ministry of Pará (MP-PA) due to the lack of technical studies on the environmental impacts of the project and the absence of public consultation with the local population.
The data center is expected to be built in the port area of Miramar, in the Barreiro neighborhood, in Belém, with an initial capacity of 7.5 MW and planned expansion to up to 100 MW. The company presents the project as the first data center for artificial intelligence in the North Region, with the goal of expanding access to cloud computing and digital services and reducing dependence on servers from other regions of the country and abroad.
Why it Matters
The MP-PA has opened a civil inquiry to investigate the legality of the project and the risks of climate damage. The main concern is the possibility of the emergence of "heat islands" around the data center, which can increase the average temperature in the surrounding area by about 2°C, with extreme peaks reaching 9.1°C, covering a radius of up to 10 km.
In a city already hot like Belém, such an increase in temperature can be tragic for people, especially children and the elderly, who are usually the most affected by the heat. Furthermore, the absence of public consultation with the residents of the surrounding area contradicts the provisions of the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Convention 169, which Brazil has signed.
The Mechanism Behind the Environmental Impact
The increase in temperature around the data center can be caused by the release of heat by the data center's equipment, which can be intensified by the lack of vegetation and the presence of urban surfaces, such as asphalt and concrete.
Additionally, the lack of national regulation on data centers can contribute to the lack of environmental impact studies and the absence of public consultation with the local population. The Bill No. 278/2026, proposed by the federal government, which establishes the Brazilian policy of incentives for the sector, has been held by the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, since February.
Broader Context
The Elea data center project in Belém is not an isolated case. Other states, such as Ceará and Rio Grande do Sul, have decided to move forward with state proposals to facilitate the installation of data centers, due to the lack of national regulation.
Furthermore, the installation of data centers in hot and humid regions, such as the Amazon, can be particularly problematic, due to the increase in temperature and humidity, which can affect the efficiency and safety of the equipment.
What Happens Next
The MP-PA will continue to investigate the legality of the project and the risks of climate damage. Additionally, the company Elea Data Centers will need to present environmental impact studies and conduct public consultations with the local population to move forward with the project.
It is essential that national regulation on data centers be established to prevent projects like BEL1 from being implemented without due consideration of environmental and social impacts.
Source / Reference
Original URL: https://climainfo.org.br/2026/08/11/primeiro-data-center-na-amazonia-ameaca-desregular-clima-na-regiao/
Source Name: ClimaInfo