Data Center Investment News — 10/11/2023
Gaw & Sinar Primera to build data center in Batam, Indonesia
Real estate private equity firm Gaw Capital Partners and Indonesian developer Sinar Primera are building a data center in Batam, Indonesia.
The two companies announced a strategic partnership this week to develop a single-story 6MW building at the Nongsa Digital Park; the first phase is due to go live in Q4 2024.
Gaw will be the primary investor, with Sinar Primera acquiring a minority shareholder stake in the property and taking on the role of development manager for the project.
Kok Chye Ong, managing director and head of IDC platform, Asia (Ex-China) of Gaw Capital said: “We are thrilled to partner with Sinar Primera for this significant IDC project in Batam. Sinar Primera’s commitment to driving the new economy real estate industry forward aligns perfectly with our vision, and their extensive experience and industry knowledge complement Gaw Capital’s investment capabilities perfectly.”
Telkom Indonesia launches data center in Banda Aceh
Telkom Indonesia has launched a new data center in Banda Aceh on the southern end of the Island of Sumatra.
One of the company’s “neuCentrIX” data centers, the facility will serve government services and local Internet service providers (ISPs).
The ISPs include the Department of Communication, Informatics, and Cryptography of West Aceh Regency (Diskominsa) and PT Acehlink Media.
The inauguration for the site occurred “some time ago,” and was attended by Telkom Indonesia’s director of Wholesale & International Service Bogi Witjaksono, Telkom’s Network & IT Solution director Herlan Wijanarko, as well as the Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers (APJII) for the North Sumatra-Aceh region.
360MW data center campus planned in Mesa, rizona
A new data center campus is being proposed in Mesa, Arizona.
First reported by the Mesa ribune, landowner Pacific Proving LLC has proposed a 178-acre campus in the Phoenix suburb.
To be located east of Legacy Park, the campus will house six data centers containing 32 data halls totaling 1.4 million square feet. The site will reportedly offer 360MW.
An end-customer for the development wasn’t named. Pacific Proving’s pre-submittal meeting for the Pecos data center campus is scheduled for November 7.
One of the largest landowners in southeast Mesa, Pacific Proving bought the southern 1,800 acres of the former GM proving grounds in 2004.
Opened in 1953, the former GM Desert Proving Ground in Mesa was a General Motors facility for the testing of HVAC, propulsion, and other automotive systems in a desert climate. GM relocated to Yuma in 2009.
Peterson Co. files to build two data centers in Dulles, Virginia
Peterson Companies is planning to build two data centers in Dulles, Virginia.
A filng with the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Norfolk District shows TPC Silverbrook, LC aims to develop a data center project located at 22900 Platform Plaza, west of Sully Road and south of S. Sterling Boulevard, in Loudoun County.
Known as the Silverbrook Project, the company aims to develop two 27,000 sq ft (2,500 sqm) buildings on the currently undeveloped 25.6-acre site.
TPC Silverbrook, LC is linked to Peterson Companies, a major real estate firm in Virginia.
The proposed project would permanently impact 1.74 acres of forested wetlands and 645 linear feet of stream.
There are already two larger data centers at 22900 Platform Plaza – located adjacent to the planned buildings – which are known to be Amazon-operated facilities. The company also operates several facilities on the other side of the proposed development on Pathfinder Plaza.
STT GDC breaks ground on 6MW data center in Cavite, Philippines
ST Telemedia Global Data Centres Philippines (STT GDC) is building a new data center in Cavite, the Philippines.
Groundbreaking for the new facility was announced this week. STT Cavite 2 will offer 6MW across 4,500 sqm (48,440 sq ft). The two-story facility will be connected to two separate substations.
Set to go live in mid-2025, the data center will be designed and operated to meet TIA-942 Certification Rated-3.
The facility will be the second on the STT Cavite campus; opened in 2015 in General Trias, Cavite 1 offers 4.8MW across 647 sqm (6,970 sq ft).
“As the Philippines sets its sights on a digital future and rapidly expands its digital capabilities, this forward momentum makes the need for robust digital infrastructure and rich network connectivity even more critical,” said Carlo Malana, president & CEO of STT GDC Philippines.
Google confirms construction of data center in Uruguay
Google is moving forward with its Teros data center plans in Uruguay.
The company has now applied for the environmental permits necessary for the development and has confirmed that construction will go ahead on its second Latin America data center.
Google acquired 30 hectares in the Parque de las Ciencias free trade zone in Uruguay for development in May 2021 after first announcing plans in 2020.
Little movement had been made on the project until recently, when the company presented the Environmental Impact Study and Project Document in order to obtain the Preliminary Environmental Authorization (AAP).
Current plans suggest construction will begin in March 2024.
“For Uruguay, it is an excellent sign, in the sense of the advance of innovation, technology, and the digital economy,” said the Secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado
Construction to begin on Rellis data center in Texas in 2024
Construction on the delayed Rellis data and research center at the Texas A&M University campus is set to begin in 2024. The size of the facility has also seemingly been rescoped.
According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, works will commence on January 1, 2024, and are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
This timeline is significantly delayed compared to the original schedule set out when the project was announced in May 2021, after Brazos County awarded the project $9 million in tax breaks.
At the time, the leasing agreement for the 25 acres of land on the Texas A&M University System Rellis campus located at State Highway 21 and Rellis Parkway College Station required construction on the 225,000 sq ft (20,903 sqm) data center to commence by November 2021.
The date is not the only notable change to the project. In addition to kicking off over two years later than originally planned, the project details now describe the data center as a 45,875 sq ft (4,262 sqm) development.
QTS acquires Dutch data center management firm Zentrys
US data center firm QTS has acquired Netherlands-based data center management and operations company Zentrys.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Founded in 2012, Zentrys has operated QT’s two Dutch data center sites since the Blackstone-owned company bought them in 2019, and will continue to operate the two locations.
“We welcome Zentrys to the QTS family as we continue to scale our operating capability in Europe,” said Chad Williams, CEO of QTS. “The Zentrys team members have embraced our partnership over the past several years, while acting as an extension of our culture of service and operational excellence. Our integration of Zentrys signifies a strategic investment in a skilled team that accelerates our operating capabilities in Europe to support significant future growth opportunities.”
Schneider Electric, Compass Datacenters bolster $3bn partnership
Schneider Electric has announced a US$3 billion multi-year agreement with Compass Datacenters to manufacture and deliver prefabricated modular data centre solutions.
Under the initial agreement, Schneider Electric has already delivered 150 modular data centre solutions to Compass from its West Chester, OH operation.
To support projected growth and meet the rising demand for data centre solutions, the companies will now utilize their Red Oak, TX operation, spanning 110,000 square feet.
Chris Crosby, CEO of Compass Datacenters, said: “We are extremely grateful for the unwavering support and unparalleled expertise that Schneider Electric has already provided in supplying us with pre-fabricated data centre power rooms.
“Our collaborative efforts will allow us to meet the increasing demands from our customers to deliver cutting-edge data centre solutions in an innovative manner.”
CtrlS signs MoU to set up Data Center in Uttarakhand, India
CtrlS Datacenters Ltd., a major player in Asia’s data center market, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Uttarakhand, a hilly state in northern India, to set up a greenfield Edge data center there.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and CtrlS Data centers Founder & Chairman Sridhar Pinnapureddy recently. According to a statement released by the company, it will invest Rs 250 crores into the facility that will reach a capacity of 10 MW in the next 8-10 years. The Edge facility will support Industry 4.0 and latency dependent applications. The facility will also have several sustainability features.
Explaining why CtrlS chose Uttarakhand, Sridhar Pinnapureddy, Chairman, CtrlS Data centers Ltd, said, “The State of Uttarakhand is a fast-growing economic region in India, making it a strategic location for CtrlS Data centers’ ongoing expansion. We are excited to bring our proven expertise of serving mission critical businesses over the past 15 years to the state of Uttarakhand.” He further said, “CtrlS’ data center will be embedded into a larger digital ecosystem of the state, enabling the growth of data, infrastructure and technology-driven businesses around our facility. We expect our proposed data center to facilitate an influx of direct and indirect investments to the tune of Rs 2,500 crore and generate around 1,000 jobs.”
OVHcloud Launches its Second Data Center in Singapore
OVHcloud, a European cloud provider, has recently unveiled its second data center in Singapore. This move also marks the introduction of its most sustainable data center in the Asia-Pacific region to date. This expansion is part of OVHcloud’s global strategic plan, which aims to establish 15 new sites by 2024.
In addition to the new Singapore facility, OVHcloud launched its first data center in Mumbai in March, with plans for an additional site in Sydney in the near future. These developments are intended to enhance regional access to reliable and secure cloud solutions that cater to the growing digital demands of customers.
The newly launched data center in Singapore stands out for its implementation of advanced water cooling technology, setting a new standard for sustainable data centers in the region.
MainOne enters Cote d’Ivoire expanding its data centre footprint
MainOne, an Equinix company, confirms the launch of its open access, carrier-neutral, Tier III data centre, AB1.2, in VITIB, Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire.
The news builds on MainOne’s landing of its subsea cable to the launch of its initial data centre in 2019, in Cote d’Ivoire.
Through the expansion MainOne aims to bolster digital transformation, foster innovation, and support growing demand for data processing, storage, and connectivity in Cote d’Ivoire and across Francophone West Africa.
“With this launch of our new data centre in Cote d’Ivoire, we are entering an exciting phase of transformation for businesses as it delivers a great opportunity to welcome more customers into our rich digital ecosystem, interconnected to the major digital players in the region and delivering 100% uptime connectivity to internet,” said Etienne Kouadio Doh, country manager for MainOne in Cote D’Ivoire.