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New Data Center Developments: February 2024
We look at some of the latest data center developments that have been announced over the past month.
James Walker
February 1, 2024
8 Min Read
Meta Odense Data Center in Odense, DenmarkAlamy
The demand for new data centers isn't showing any sign of slowing. With new projects being announced each week, keeping track of the latest data center developments is not always easy.
To keep you informed about the latest data center news involving design, construction, and related developments, we bring you the highlights from the past month.
This curated selection will help you stay on top of the latest data center development news with ease.
North American Data Center Deals
In the US, EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure recently announced the completion of a $1.9 billion debt refinancing transaction to fund fresh developments on its data center campus in Mesa, Arizona.
“The development of scalable data center campuses designed to support the density requirements of hyperscalers is EdgeCore 's sole focus, and one that we address with sustainable construction, operations and business practices in mind, said EdgeCore spokesperson, Julie Brewer.
Elsewhere, the city of Eagle Mountain in Utah will soon be home to another data center after Denver-based Tract confirmed it has acquired more than 668 acres of land west of Utah Lake.
The facility will be the latest addition to the growing tech hub of Eagle Mountain, joining Meta, which is in the process of expanding its campus, and Google, which also acquired a 300-acre parcel in Eagle Mountain.
The news comes as Meta was reported to be building an $800 million data center in Indiana that will be optimized to handle artificial intelligence services, marking the latest attempt by Facebook 's parent to gain an edge in the new technology.
The facility, located in the city of Jeffersonville, will include equipment like liquid-cooled hardware that 's designed to support the voracious computing needs of AI. Though Meta has already tweaked many of its existing data centers to accommodate AI products, this site will do so from the start.
In Mississippi, Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to invest $10 billion to build two data center complexes. The project is expected to create 1,000 new jobs in the Magnolia State.
“Since 2011, AWS has invested more than $108 billion in its infrastructure across the US to support customers of all kinds, and across all industries, in their digital transformation,” said Roger Wehner, AWS director of economic development.
In Oregon, Design LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Google, is understood to have selected Baltimore-based Whiting-Turner Contracting to build a $600 million data center in Wasco County.
More North American data center news:
QTS is set to build a $220 million data center in Fort Worth, Texas.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced another delay to its $40 billion site in Arizona.
Following its takeover of QTS in 2021, Blackstone is building a $25 billion data center empire.
According to reports, CyrusOne is planning a new data center in Aurora, Illinois.
Latin America Data Center News
In Latin American data center news this month, Marcos Peigo, co-founder and CEO at Scala Data Centers, unveiled what 's purportedly the first-ever weather-proof outdoor data center construction in Latin America.
Peigo took to LinkedIn to share pictures of the Tambor© Campus SGRUTB10, currently under construction in Brazil and covered by a huge inflatable tent ahead of the rainy season.
Angola Cables is reportedly planning to invest up to $80 million to build a second data center in Fortaleza, Brazil. According to Latin American business intelligence platform BN Americas, work on the 960 square meter site is expected to begin in the second half of the year.
In other news, BN Americas also said that Chile 's environmental agency has given AWS final approval to develop a $205 million data center project in Santiago.
European Data Center Developments
It's been another busy month for data center developments in Europe, with Google unveiling ambitious plans to invest $1 billion in a new UK facility to help meet growing demand for its services.
Building work has started on a 33-acre site in Waltham Cross, north of London, which Google acquired in 2020. The data center “will help ensure reliable digital services to Google Cloud customers and Google users in the UK,” the tech giant said.
Maincubes is expanding in Germany with its newest data center in Frankfurt. According to the company, FRA04 is designed to meet the growing infrastructure demands of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence environments.
Eviden has been awarded a contract by the Jülich Supercomputing Centre in Germany to build the modular data center to host the Jupiter supercomputer, Europe 's first exascale system.
Under the terms of the deal, Eviden will bring together around 50 pre-built modules “ including 20 IT containers, 15 power feed containers, and 10 logistic containers “ over 2,300 square meters to form a complete turnkey data center.
In Scandinavia, T.Loop acquired an 800 square meter data center in central Stockholm, Sweden.
“We see great potential in this facility where we will be able to reuse the existing infrastructure and thus quickly offer the center 's colocation services to our customers, ” said Mathias Lindqvist, Chief Engineer and one of T.Loop's founders.
Asia-Pacific Data Centers Builds
The Goodman Group outlined its expansion strategy in Asia-Pacific as it seeks to strengthen its foothold in the region's burgeoning data center market.
The company said it has entered into agreements to deliver up to 1,000 MW of power in Japan and has started the construction of a new 50 MW data center in Tsuen Wan in Hong Kong. It also opened a new regional office in Singapore recently to support the growth of its data center business in the region.
In India, Reliance Industries, in partnership with Brookfield, cut the ribbon on a new data center in Chennai. According to The Times of India, the 20 MW facility will eventually be joined by an additional 40 MW data center.
Digital Realty unveiled its inaugural data center project in the country. The 10-acre MAA10 facility in Chennai was developed in partnership with Brookfield Asset Management and Reliance Industries.
In the Delhi National Capital Region, meanwhile, NTT Global Data Centers brought its first 22.4 MW Noida facility online and announced the launch of its second data center campus in the burgeoning tech hub.
Spanning six acres, the planned Noida 2 campus will support a planned capacity of 52.8 MW critical IT load in two data centers, NTT said.
“India is a priority region in our global strategic roadmap of consistent capacity expansion in existing and new data center markets,” said NTT president and CEO Doug Adams. “With this new site we reaffirm our commitment to delivering reliable infrastructure that can support the demands of our clients ' digital transformation ambitions around the globe.
In South Korea, some of the country 's leading tech firms, including Samsung Electronics Company and SK Hynix, are planning to spend more than $470 billion to establish the world 's largest chipmaking cluster, joining a global race to safeguard domestic supply.
The news comes as AWS is reportedly planning to invest $15.2 billion to expand its cloud computing infrastructure in Japan.
Lastly, Google, together with Amalgamated Telecom Holdings, APTelecom, and Telstra, is to build two new subsea cables connecting Guam, Fiji, and French Polynesia to increase digital connectivity in the central Pacific.
The two cables “ Bulikula and Halaihai “ will connect Guam and Fiji, and Guam and French Polynesia, respectively.
Other Asia-Pacific data center news:
American Tower Corporation agreed to sell its operations in India to an affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management, in a deal worth about $2.5.
Lawmakers in Malaysia and Singapore signed a memorandum of understanding on a special economic zone that 's aimed at stimulating the tech, medical equipment, and data center markets.
Eight global data center operators have banded together to form the Asia-Pacific Data Centre Association (APDCA), the first-of-its-kind data center trade association in the region.
Data center demand is expected to surge over the next five years, as companies from KKR & Company to Bain Capital bet on the region 's growing computing and data storage needs following an artificial intelligence boom.
Middle East and Africa Data Center Investments
Private equity firm Convergence Partners acquired Datacentrix, a South African company that manages IT networks and runs data centers, betting that demand for such services will surge on the continent.
The acquisition of Datacentrix is the sixth by the firm in the past year as it accelerates the deployment of its $300 million Africa tech-focused fund, Convergence Chairman Andile Ngcaba said. The purchase is its biggest yet, he said, without disclosing financial details.
Google, meanwhile, announced that its new Johannesburg cloud region in South Africa is ready for customer use.
Israeli real estate firm Azrieli Group is reportedly considering options for its data center arm, including a potential initial public offering. According to Bloomberg, Azrieli has held early discussions with potential advisers about possibilities for the sustainability-focused data center business.
N+One signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a new facility in Casablanca, Morocco.
To meet the growing demand across Africa, Oracle is planning to open a public cloud region in Nairobi, Kenya. According to the company, the cloud region will leverage Kenya 's “renewable energy and digital infrastructure including abundant submarine and national connectivity.
“I am excited to see major technology companies like Oracle investing in Kenya and bringing state-of-the-art technologies like AI and cloud applications that will benefit Kenyan citizens, especially in the creation of jobs, said President of Kenya William Ruto.
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