Data Center Investment News — 28/07/2023
PLDT to build – another – 100MW data centre in the Philippines
The Philippines ICT subsidiary of PLDT, ePLDT, has unveiled plans to build a new data centre facility in the country.
The site will be the group’s 12th and have a power capacity of 100 MW.
ePLDT President & CEO Victor S. Genuino, said: “We want to be able to help the Philippines be the next hyperscaler hub of Asia while continuing to support the digital transformation journey of different sectors locally.
“That is why we have been investing heavily in our ecosystem to ensure that our data centres will be a crucial enabler of the country’s digital economy.”
Alfredo S. Panlilio, PLDT & Smart, Inc. President and CEO and ePLDT Chairman, added that the expansion plans are based on growing demand from enterprise customers and hyperscalers for hosting capacity.
Digital Realty, Brookfield, Reliance form JV to develop data centres across India
Digital Realty (NYSE: DLE) and Brookfield Infrastructure have announced a partnership with Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL)‘s subsidiary Jio Platforms to develop a network of data centres in India.
Operating under the moniker ‘Digital Connexion: A Brookfield, Jio and Digital Realty Company’, the joint venture (JV) builds on the previously announced BAM Digital Realty partnership between DLR and Brookfield which had the same goal of critical infrastructure development across the South Asian subcontinent.
Digital Connexion will have a dedicated management team in India, with leadership oversight from Digital Realty, Brookfield and RIL.
Mukesh Ambani-owned RIL said it will invest up to 10 billion Indian rupees (US$122.24 million).
The three-way partnership between Digital Realty, Brookfield Infrastructure, and RIL has been hailed as a strategic move to develop scalable and highly connected data centres that can meet the burgeoning demand for digital.
Edged Energy plans 18MW data center in Kansas City, Missouri
Edged Energy is developing a data center in Kansas City, Missouri.
BizJournal reports engineering and construction firm Burns & McDonnell will soon start construction on a data center in Kansas City’s Northland.
The company is developing an 18MW waterless-cooled facility at 3420 N. Arlington Ave. for data center firm Edged Energy and local utility Evergy.
A groundbreaking ceremony is due next week for a target completion of June 2024. The site is currently greenfield land.
Edged Energy is part of Endeavour, which was set up by Aligned founder Jakob Carnemark.
The company is still relatively new, with it first coming to light in 2021 after teaming up with Merlin Properties on data centers across Spain and Portugal, including Madrid, Bilbao, a 24MW data center in Barcelona, and Lisbon.
Spencer Building Carrier Hotel gains planning approval for data center in Vancouver, Canada
Spencer Building Carrier Hotel (SBCH) has gained planning approval for a new data center in Vancouver, Canada.
The company this week announced that it has obtained all necessary permits to commence the construction of a new data center at the Harbour Centre.
SBCH said it is currently in preconstruction and will properly get started in August 2023, with completion and the launch of operations expected in the fourth quarter of 2024.
“The arrival of Spencer Building Carrier Hotel in Vancouver is a testament to our commitment to offering premiere data center services that are economically viable for our customers and backed by the rich connectivity legacy of Harbour Centre,” said Chris Jones, director of data center infrastructure and operations at Spencer Building Carrier Hotel.
Equinix completes phase 2 expansion of Sofia data center in Bulgaria
Equinix has completed an expansion of one of its Bulgarian data centers in Sofia.
This week announced the commissioning of the second stage of its SO2 data center in the Bulgarian capital.
Equinix said it invested $12 million in the expansion, which doubles the site’s capacity to 700 racks.
Zdravko Nikolov, executive director of Equinix in Bulgaria, said: “Bulgarian companies looking for fast, easy, and reliable access to cloud operators and new markets will benefit the most from our services. From any Equinix IBX data center, you can reach any Equinix customer around the world through the Equinix Fabric platform, a software-defined interconnect solution that enables direct, secure, and dynamic connectivity to distributed infrastructure and digital ecosystems. With the expansion of SO2, our team is also growing and new colleagues have already been hired.
Datum completes 1MW data hall expansion in Farnborough
UK operator Datum Datacentres has completed work of a new 1MW data hall at its Farnborough data center.
The company expansion project has been completed at Datum’s FRN1 as part of a £7 million ($9m) investment program.
The new first-floor data hall – known as Hall 4 – offers capacity for 380 racks, cooling infrastructure for 1000kW of IT load with N+1 resilience, and power infrastructure for 1000kW of IT load with 2N resilience.
The halls include backup generators fueled with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and lithium-ion batteries in the UPS system. The design and build activities were carried out by Keysource.
Dominic Phillips, CEO of Datum, said: “We are pleased to be able to offer extra data center capacity at a time when companies are struggling to find the high-quality data center footprint they need. We have proved since 2013 that our energy-efficient, ‘service first’ colocation formula is a successful one, so we are delighted to be able to offer more of our services from our growing facilities.”
CoreWeave plans $1.6bn AI cloud data center in Plano, Texas
GPU-focused cloud company CoreWeave plans to spend $1.6 billion on a data center in Plano, Texas.
The company will have to invest at least $800m a year for the next two years to be eligible for a tax rebate that was passed this week by the Plano City Council. In 2025 and 2026, 50 percent of the total minimum of $1.6bn spent on improvements will be returned to CoreWeave.
The data center at 1000 Coit Road is publicly listed as being owned and operated by Lincoln Property Company’s Lincoln Rackhouse, and has gone through several iterations.
It was once the North American campus for French telecommunications giant Alcatel, before being sold to Westmount Realty Capital in 2004. From there it went to Countrywide Financial, which was then acquired by Bank of America during the 2008 financial crash. BoA sold the facility during a data center consolidation effort, and it was taken over by Lincoln Rackhouse in 2018.
Edge Centres acquires LA-based data center firm Multacom
Australian Edge operator Edge Centres has acquired US data center firm Multacom.
The companies announced the acquisition this week. Terms were not disclosed.
Edge Centres will take ownership of Los Angeles-based data center operator, adding 25,000 sq ft (2,320 sqm) and 1MW across 250 racks of capacity at 707 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles to its portfolio. The facility is reported to be 82 percent occupied.
Jonathan Eaves, Edge Centres founder and CEO, said: “A year ago, Edge Centres opened its first PoP in the US to further support its Australian and Asian customers, as well as expand into the US. Over the last year, we worked very closely with the Multacom team. The experience has given us great confidence in their ability to support international, interstate, and local companies.”
Damac-backed Edgnex Data Centers has signed a new partnership agreement to develop a data center, and Cinturion a cable landing station (CLS), outside Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Edgnex this week signed an agreement with local telco Integrated Telecom Company (aka Salam), fiber firm Cinturion Corp, and Emaar, The Economic City, for new telecoms and digital infrastructure.
The four have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement to develop digital infrastructure hub, including initiatives such as an international submarine cable project, data centers, fiber infrastructure, cloud, and Internet, in the new King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).
Details of what might be built and on what timelines haven’t been shared.
Green Data Center Cluster Created in Korea’s Busan
A green data center cluster is to be created in Korea’s southeastern port city of Busan. The Busan Metropolitan City unveiled the development of the 177,000 square meter data center complex in Busan’s Eco Delta City located in the Gangseo-gu district.
The announcement comes after Korea’s central government unveiled plans to actively support data center candidates in non-capital areas where electricity is abundant and are equipped with sufficient infrastructure. Busan has an advantage as a data center location as it serves as Korea’s starting point for more than 90% of submarine optical cables going overseas. Also, the city receives a stable power supply from its nearby Kori Nuclear Power Plant.
The Busan municipal government plans to open an offline business session this August 28 for companies wishing to move into the complex. Candidates wanting to move in have to send their applications by August 30. The preferential screening for candidates during the pre-sale period is slated to take place in September. The shortlisted candidates will be put up for the final selection process and reviewed by the Korea Water Resources Corporation to conclude a lease contract by October.
GIC to Build Massive Data Center in Korea’s Goyang
Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC, teams up with Korean institutional investors, to establish a massive data center in Korea’s city of Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. 900 billion won (US$ 705.3 million) of funds were raised for the construction of the new facility, aiming for completion by 2026.
GIC, which plays a key role in the development project, is a government-owned company established in 1981 to manage Singapore’s overseas investments, overlooking 900 trillion won (US$ 705.6 billion) of assets.
This is not the first time GIC played a key part in building data centers in Korea. Earlier, GIC in a joint venture with U.S. data center REIT company, Equinix, agreed to build an xScale data center in Seoul, aiming for completion this year.
GreenSquareDC Engages Multiplex for Groundbreaking WAi1 Net Zero Data Centre Project – Perth, WA
GreenSquareDC Press Release 25th July 2023:
We are thrilled to announce that premier global construction company, Multiplex, has been named as the preferred contractor for our revolutionary $1 billion, 96 MW, WAi1 Net Zero Data Centre project. Multiplex, renowned for their expertise in delivering complex, large-scale projects, brings a wealth of experience and a commitment to sustainable construction practices. Their involvement underscores the significance of this project and aligns with our shared vision for a sustainable AI enabled future. WAi1 is not just another data centre project. It’s designed to help be a game-changer for our industry and the burgeoning AI market. We’re looking to redefine what’s possible in terms of sustainability, cost per delivered MW and advanced AI-enabled technology.