Elea and AXIA Bets Big on Brazil's Belém for AI Data Centres

Brazil's Amazon region is preparing to host its first AI-neutral data centre, a development that could reshape how compute infrastructure is deployed in areas where river systems still dominate logistics and humidity remains a design factor.

Elea Data Centers and AXIA Energia have confirmed plans for BEL1 in Belém, Brazil.

The facility is scheduled to begin operations in the second quarter of 2027 and will focus on supporting AI workloads in a location where energy availability, network routing and geographic positioning converge.

AI compute enters the Amazon

BEL1 will launch with 7.5MW of capacity, supported by demand from anchor clients.

The design includes expansion potential to 100MW across future phases, a scaling path that could accommodate the power requirements of large language model training and inference workloads as demand grows.

"Expanding into Belém is a strategic move to broaden the geographic distribution of our platform and strengthen Brazil's digital infrastructure," says Alessandro Lombardi, CEO and Founder of Elea Data Centers.

"The project began to take shape in 2024 when Belém was confirmed as the host city for COP30, reinforcing the region's potential to attract structural and sustainable investments.

"The North region will play a fundamental role in the Brazilian digital ecosystem by providing an alternative route to Fortaleza and by helping reduce digital inequality and boost regional competitiveness.

"BEL1 reaffirms our pioneering spirit and represents a legacy of COP30 by demonstrating the importance of developing sustainable digital infrastructure in strategic and remote regions." 

Belém functions as an alternative to Fortaleza, which currently dominates Brazil's coastal digital infrastructure. 

Renewable energy for AI workloads

Energy supply forms the foundation of BEL1's design.

AXIA Energia will provide 100% renewable power through a dedicated Power Purchase Agreement, a model that could address the carbon intensity concerns associated with training compute-intensive AI models.

The data centre will be constructed near the Miramar high-voltage substation, operated by AXIA. This proximity could reduce transmission losses and support the power stability required for continuous AI training runs.

AXIA's involvement extends beyond power supply to include land acquisition and commercialisation.

According to Ítalo Freitas, Vice President of Commercialization and Energy Solutions at AXIA, the partnership "reinforces AXIA's role as a provider of integrated solutions for its clients, enabling innovative and strategic business ventures and projects focused on digital transformation".

He adds: "As the largest 100% renewable energy company in the Southern Hemisphere, AXIA has a robust portfolio capable of guaranteeing firm, reliable and sustainable energy for an enterprise of this magnitude, expanding connectivity and contributing to attracting investments that boost the economic development of the Amazon region."

Network routing for AI data flows

BEL1's position within Brazil's northern fibre network could address latency and routing challenges for AI applications.

Belém connects through the Norte Conectado programme, which is expanding digital infrastructure across the Amazon basin.

The city functions as a complementary route to Fortaleza – Brazil's main submarine cable landing point.

Coastal fibre expansions linking to international systems between Europe and the region could position Belém as an alternative node for AI data flows.

As these networks develop, the northern region is gaining visibility in transatlantic routing strategies.

BEL1 is entering an environment where physical geography is being reconfigured by fibre deployment and the compute demands of AI model development.