Colombia Is the Third Largest Data Center Market in South America
Colombia has established itself as one of the most important data center markets in Latin America. It ranks third in South America by the standard broker rankings behind only Brazil and Chile. Multiple research firms track Colombia’s market and all confirm a rapidly growing pipeline centred on the Bogotá metropolitan area. Understanding the scale and trajectory of Colombia’s market is essential for any landowner broker or investor considering participation. The market is still relatively small in operating megawatts but its financed pipeline puts it in a different category from most of the region’s remaining markets.
What the Market Size Numbers Actually Show
Many analysts and investors researching how big is Colombia’s data center market encounter a wide range of figures from different sources. Portafolio reported approximately 50 MW installed in Colombia as of 2026 expected to reach about 80 MW by the end of that year. CBRE tracked 44.3 MW of colocation in Bogotá in the first quarter of 2026. Arizton reported in September 2026 that upcoming capacity for Bogotá alone will exceed 200 MW making it a very significant growth market. The Bogotá CBRE figure had vacancy at 18.7 percent which was the highest of the four metros CBRE tracked in Latin America. High vacancy on a small base suggests the market is still absorbing existing supply while very large projects are under development simultaneously.
Why Bogotá Holds More Than 98 Percent of National Capacity
Colombia’s data center market is extraordinarily concentrated in a single city. Arizton’s analysis stated that Bogotá holds more than 98 percent of the country’s colocation capacity as of 2026. This concentration is not surprising given Bogotá’s role as Colombia’s capital its population of approximately eight million people and its position as the country’s financial and commercial centre. Medellín Cali and Barranquilla have growing technology sectors but none has yet attracted the hyperscaler anchor investment that typically creates a multi-tenant colocation cluster. All meaningful financed data center development in Colombia today is happening in or very near Bogotá and specifically in the municipalities of Mosquera and Tenjo on the Bogotá savanna.
The ODATA Campus Projects in Mosquera and Tenjo
The largest single investment driving Colombia’s market growth is ODATA’s pair of campuses on the Bogotá savanna. ODATA committed approximately US$1.3 billion to the development of a 24 MW campus in Mosquera and a campus in Tenjo that can reach up to 120 MW. These two projects alone represent more total capacity than the entire Colombian market had before them. The Tenjo project in particular became the subject of community discussion in September 2026 when a local outlet reported that residents were not consulted before the project began. Concerns in Tenjo focus on water availability during El Niño years when the Bogotá savanna receives significantly less rainfall than average. The social license dimension of large data center projects is becoming a material factor in Colombian site selection.
The Bogotá Savanna and Why It Attracts Data Centers
The municipalities of the Bogotá savanna including Funza Mosquera Madrid Siberia and Tenjo have become the preferred location for large-scale data center development. These municipalities sit just outside Bogotá’s urban perimeter while offering industrial-zoned land at more reasonable prices than the city itself. They are generally within 30 to 40 minutes of Bogotá’s city centre by road making them accessible for enterprise clients and their staff. Industrial land listing prices in Funza and Siberia were recorded at COP 280,000 to 350,000 per square metre in October 2026 according to Fincaraíz listings. These are asking prices not confirmed sales and zoning was not verified on every listing reviewed.
The Power Constraint That Caps How Fast Colombia Can Grow
Power access is the defining constraint on how quickly Colombia’s data center market can expand. Large users connecting at the transmission level can only file connection requests with the planning unit UPME in the first five business days of January and May each year under Resolution 443 of June 17, 2026. UPME issues its decision by the end of April or August respectively or by December if grid expansion is required. The system operator XM reported a firm-energy shortfall of approximately 7,207 to 7,669 gigawatt-hours per year for the 2026 to 2027 period depending on which bulletin is referenced. Around Bogotá the energy ministry has stated that approximately 400 MW of new demand depends on two transmission lines expected in mid and late 2027. Until those lines are built new large connections around Bogotá face meaningful capacity constraints.
Foreign Ownership Rules and What They Mean for Investors
Colombia is one of the more open markets for foreign buyers in Latin America. Legal analysis suggests that foreigners in Colombia buy land on substantially the same terms as Colombian nationals in most circumstances. Border-zone limits for foreign buyers have not been confirmed for the areas where data centers are being built and should be checked with local counsel for any specific parcel. A bill in the Colombian Congress known as Bill 320/2026C that would limit foreign rural land holdings was in committee as of October 2026 and is not law. The larger practical risks for investors in Colombia are in the title itself including land that was originally granted by the state and land subject to restitution claims from the country’s conflict period.
No National Broker Licence Required in Colombia
Colombia has no national real estate broker licence for sales brokerage at the time of writing. The matrícula de arrendador covers residential leasing only and does not apply to land or commercial sales. This means that anyone can legally represent a landowner in Colombia without a formal licence or registration. The absence of a licensing requirement does not mean all brokers are equally qualified or that professional standards are uniform. Carson Jones works through written co-brokerage agreements with established local operators in Colombia who have experience in industrial and large-land transactions. A written fee agreement is still the safe practice even where no licence is required.
The Rural-Suburban Zoning Constraint on Building Footprint
Data center developers working on the Bogotá savanna face a specific zoning constraint that limits how much of a rural-suburban parcel can be built upon. Under Decree 3600 of 2007 as amended by Decree 4066 of 2008 industrial buildings on rural-suburban land may cover no more than 30 percent of the lot. On a 20-hectare parcel that limits the buildable footprint to six hectares. A developer who builds within a formally designated industrial park can reach 50 percent coverage of the lot which would be ten hectares on a 20-hectare parcel. Industrial parks themselves must be at least six hectares in size to qualify for this additional coverage allowance. Landowners marketing parcels should confirm the zoning classification and applicable footprint limits before presenting to buyers.
What Colombia’s Market Needs to Reach Its Pipeline
Arizton’s projection of more than 200 MW in upcoming Bogotá capacity represents a significant multiplier over current operating levels. Achieving that pipeline requires two things above all: power connections and social license. The two transmission lines expected around Bogotá in mid and late 2027 are the critical infrastructure enablers for much of this pipeline. Without those lines projects must either wait or contract expensive temporary generation. Social acceptance matters because the Tenjo example shows that communities near large campuses expect consultation and have the ability to generate press coverage that complicates licensing. Developers who invest in community engagement early appear to face fewer delays on this dimension.
Landowners and Brokers in Colombia’s Active Markets
Colombia’s data center market creates direct opportunities for landowners with large industrial-zoned or rural-suburban-zoned parcels near Bogotá’s ring road and the municipalities of the savanna. The most valuable sites combine reasonable proximity to Bogotá city centre clear power access to a high-voltage substation and clean title confirmed through the Oficina de Registro de Instrumentos Públicos. Carson Jones at Passive Investments provides confidential site reads for Colombian landowners and works with established local brokers through written co-brokerage agreements. Landowners should send coordinates or a map pin their hectares their certificado de tradición y libertad their nearest substation and their zoning classification to begin the assessment.
What the Market Will Look Like in 2027 and Beyond
Colombia’s data center market is at an inflection point as of late 2026. The ODATA campuses in Mosquera and Tenjo represent the first truly hyperscale-scale commitments in the country’s history. The transmission infrastructure investments expected in 2027 will determine how much additional capacity can come to market in the following one to two years. International operators beyond ODATA are actively evaluating Colombia as awareness of the market grows. The combination of a growing tech sector a relatively stable legal environment for foreign buyers and improving power infrastructure makes Colombia increasingly attractive for the medium term. Landowners who position their parcels correctly now will be well placed when the next wave of developer interest arrives.
Contact Passive Investments to Discuss Your Colombian Land
How big is Colombia’s data center market has a clear answer for 2026: small in operating capacity but with a large financed pipeline centred entirely on Bogotá. That concentration creates clear geographic targets for landowners with well-positioned parcels. Email Carson at carson@passive.investments with your location hectares title document nearest substation and zoning to begin a confidential site read. Established local brokers in Colombia with industrial and large-land experience are also welcome to reach out to discuss co-brokerage arrangements for data center site work in the Bogotá savanna.
Contact Passive Investments
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