Multi-criterion and multi-scale analysis for the sustainable location of data centers in Colombia

Abstract

The expansion of digital infrastructure has increased the need to identify suitable locations for data centers, especially in countries where energy, climatic, urban, and risk conditions show significant territorial contrasts. In Colombia, this discussion remains limited despite the growing demand for digital services. This study proposes a multicriteria evaluation framework to compare the relative suitability of ten Colombian cities as candidate data center locations across three scale scenarios: small (0.5–2 MW), medium (2–20 MW), and large (>20 MW). The evaluation was structured around five dimensions: energy support, climatic suitability, digital connectivity, territorial risk, and urban scale–market potential. Based on these dimensions, a synthetic Data Center Siting Suitability Index was developed and estimated through scenario-specific weighted aggregation. The analysis used official and open-access Colombian data sources and was complemented by local and global sensitivity tests. The results show that Bogotá and Medellín perform consistently well across the three evaluated scenarios, while Barranquilla improves its  relative position in the large-scale scenario. The findings indicate that territorial suitability for data center siting in Colombia depends on the functional scale of the project, and that the proposed framework can preliminarily support digital infrastructure decisions based on territorial and energy sustainability criteria.