Data Center Investment News — 10/02/2023
BDx schedules opening of new Hong Kong data centre
Asian data centre platform Big Data Exchange (BDx) has unveiled plans to develop a 16MW facility in Hong Kong, its 12th site in Asia Pacific.
The facility, nicknamed HKG8, is set to be operational before the end of 2023 and will be located in the Kwai Chung District more precisely in the upcoming high-tech industrial area being developed by Sino Group.
Mayank Srivastava, CEO of BDx, said: “BDx is pleased to announce our new data centre to further our commitment to the Hong Kong market. We are pleased to work with Sino Group to develop our next-generation, hyperscale-ready site, which is designed with fail-safe features and a clear focus on sustainability. We continue to support Hong Kong as The Digital Hub of APAC.
“With HKG8, our newest data center in Hong Kong, we continue to expand our footprint across Asia with sustainable, high quality sites. We are proud to offer our customers dense connectivity, IX ecosystems and reliable redundant options, to drive digital delivery and growth.”
Blackstone REIT says it has $14bn for acquisitions, eyes data centres
Blackstone’s Real Estate Income Trust announced it has US$14 billion for investment in their fund.
The US$69 billion trust, which seeks to acquire and modernise real estate, will target data centre acquisitions, Nadeem Meghji, Blackstone’s head of Americas real estate, said in a recent stockholder meeting for Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT).
“We have ample capital to play offense in a world where we think there is going to be some interesting deployment opportunities,” he said.
Meghji added that the group will target the acquisition of more data centre real estate as a direct result of the growing demand for cloud services.
Cloud Security Startup Wiz Launches Data Center in Sydney
Wiz, an Israeli-United States cloud security startup vendor, has launched its first Australian data center in Sydney, using a highly scalable architecture and adhering to government security guidelines as well as industry standards.
The Sydney data center, according to the company, was established to assist client data sovereignty initiatives. From its new data center, it plans to serve Australian clients like Melbourne-based Linktree, Sydney-based and ASX-listed payments firm OFX, and enterprise IT services provider TechnologyOne.
Moreover, Brisbane partner Baidam Solutions, a Queensland-based security specialist, welcomed the new Wiz Sydney data center.
According to Pip Jenkinson, Baidam Chief Executive, they were pleased by Wiz’s approach to cloud security and were excited about the prospect of working together locally.
Singtel, GULF, & AIS Commence Construction of New Data Center in Thailand
Singtel, GULF, and AIS have commenced the construction of a new data center strategically located near to Bangkok, capital of Thailand.
The data center will be operated by their joint venture company GSA Data Center Company Limited (GSA) and is expected to start operating commercially in 2025. It will have a capacity of at least 20MW.
GSA makes use of the advantages of its three partners. Singtel has deep technological expertise in the development and operation of hyperscale data centers and a diversified global customer base that includes hyperscalers, while GULF is well-established in the energy and infrastructure business with a portfolio of green energy projects in domestic and international markets and an extensive business network.
In addition to developing and managing numerous data center facilities across Thailand, AIS also has experience working with a significant number of enterprise customers. Local expertise in domestic networks. GSA has ownership shares from GULF, Singtel, and AIS totaling 40%, 35%, and 25%, respectively.
Digital Realty and Brookfield break ground on data center in Chennai, India
Data center firm BAM Digital Realty has broken ground on its first facility in India.
The company, a joint venture between Brookfield Infrastructure and Digital Realty, this week announced that construction of a data center in Chennai is underway and on track to open later this year.
The first building on the new campus MAA10, will offer 20MW of capacity. At full build-out, the 10-acre campus at Ambattur Industrial Estate will offer 100MW of capacity.
Seema Ambastha, CEO of BAM Digital Realty, said: “Our campus in Chennai is the beginning of our journey in India.
iColo unveils MPM1 data centre in Mozambique
iColo: a Digital Realty company confirms the opening of its first data centre in Maputo, Mozambique (MPM1).
The launch of this data centre on Africa’s southeast coast expands the company’s footprint and supports the growing connectivity needs along the eastern coast of Africa, driven by the growth of subsea cables.
Following its Mombasa and Nairobi campuses in Kenya, iColo is expanding into the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. The 9500 sqm campus is located in Maputo on Avenida Lenine. MPM1 provides approximately 350 sqm of rentable space, equivalent to approximately 80 racks in the first phase of development with the ability to accommodate further upgrades.
“We are committed to enhancing internet connectivity in Mozambique by establishing this new facility, especially with the advent of new high-capacity cable systems landing along the coast of Mozambique. We are very excited about the growth potential of this market,” said Ranjith Cherickel, CEO at iColo.
Damac to expand Saudi data centres from 20MW to 55MW
Dubai-based Damac group is to spend US$600 million on expanding its data centres in Riyadh and Dammam, Saudi Arabia, before the end of 2023.
The business, formerly formerly known as Edgnex, said this is part of a $1 billion data centre development strategy in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Hussain Sajwani (pictured), chairman of the group, said that Saudi Arabia’s “borders touch more countries than almost any other and it is an ideal jumping off point for connecting across Africa and the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council countries].”
The deal means Damac will add a further 35MW of capacity to the 20MW already under construction. The company announced the 20MW Riyadh data centre in 2022. Then, the company said that unit would go live in the third quarter of this year. Now it says the expansion will also go live in 2023.
atNorth to build 15MW data centre campus in Helsinki
atNorth has entered into an agreement to acquire an additional site in Finland that will be converted into a third data centre for the business.
The site, acquired from Tallberg Group is located in Sinimäentie, Espoo (greater Helsinki) and will have an initial IT capacity of 15MW and will be operational by Q3 2024.
At the same time, the facility will feature heat reuse systems that will ensure that residual heat generated by the data centre will be recycled to heat local housing.
“We are thrilled to be expanding our presence in the Nordics with a third site in Finland. With five operational sites across three Nordic countries and two more in development, this acquisition is a critical step in future proofing our offering and supports our goal to continue to be the service provider of choice in the region,” said Eyjólfur Magnús Kristinsson, CEO of atNorth.
NRB Group acquires Belgium’s Wallonia Data Center
Belgian ICT firm NRB Group has acquired Belgian IT services company Win and its data center subsidiary Wallonia Data Center.
The company this week announced it had acquired Win and its subsidiary Wallonia Data Center (WDC) from Enodia-owned telco Nethys.
The deal, reportedly valued at around €50 million ($53.6m), should be completed before the end of the second quarter of 2023.
“WIN and NRB are strategically complementary. The collaboration of the two companies will create a solid player to accelerate digital transformation,” Henri Thonnart, CEO of the NRB Group.
I squared Capital launches German Edge data center firm nLighten
nLighten, a new portfolio company of I Squared Capital, is launching an Edge network in Germany.
The company this week announced plans for an official launch across 10 locations in Germany later this year.
nLighten acquired its initial data centers from Exa Infrastructure (another I Squared Capital company) and plans to begin operations in the second half of 2023. nLighten’s goal is to set up and operate multiple Edge data center platforms in Europe
The network will offer capacity in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Cologne, Leipzig, Munich, Nuremberg, and Stuttgart.
Edge Centres planning 1MW facilities in St. Louis and Portland
Australian Edge data center firm Edge Centres is developing facilities in St. Louis, Missouri, and Portland, Oregon.
“Our Edge journey into the US has begun in the wonderful city of St. Louis,” the company said on LinkedIn this week. “STL is an amazing city with both rich culture and an amazing heritage. It also has fantastic weather that allows for indirect free-cooling to be used 24/7, 8-9 months of the year.”
In his own post, Jonathan Eaves, Edge Centres founder and CEO, said: “We have selected Austin TX as HQ for Edge Centres. With the initial three locations now locked in as Los Angeles (EC101), St Louis (EC102), and Portland (EC103), we are underway.
The Australian firm provides modular ‘off grid’ data centers powered by on-site wind and/or solar power and connected to the main grid as backup.
DCI Data Centers appoints Nicholas Toh as Group CEO
Australian firm DCI Data Centers (DCI) has appointed Nicholas Toh as its new Group Chief Executive Officer.
He joins DCI from STT Global Data Centers, where he was a founding member and most recently CEO, North-East Asia. Prior to joining STT, he was SVP at Securus Data Property Fund (which later exited as Keppel DC REIT), and also worked for Macquarie Group in its real estate and banking groups.
DCI Chair and Brookfield Global CEO Data Centres, Udhay Mathialagan, said: “Nicholas’s appointment strengthens DCI’s growth trajectory as we look to build on our rapid growth in Australia and New Zealand by deepening our geographic and product strength in these markets in addition to targeted expansion across Asia. I am delighted to welcome Nicholas to the team.
Acquired by Brookfield in 2019, DCI currently operates two sites in Australia in Sydney and Adelaide. It has further Australian sites in development in Canberra, Adelaide, Darwin, and Sydney, as well as two facilities in Auckland, New Zealand. A wider expansion into South Korea, Japan, and Indonesia is also planned.