New Data Center Developments: December 2024

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

As experts came forward with their initial thoughts on how a second Trump presidency could shape the nation’s data center industry, new development announcements continued to pour in.

DC Blox is developing four hyperscale edge node data centers across the southeast. The facilities will be in Montgomery, Alabama; North Augusta, South Carolina; and Huntsville, Alabama; in addition to the location in Conyers, Georgia that was made public earlier this year. 

Cologix, meanwhile, is expanding its central Ohio footprint after acquiring 154 acres of land in Johnstown. The operator is planning to develop an 800 MW campus to support the region’s “rapidly advancing digital economy.”

In Virginia, Iron Mountain said it acquired two data center development sites to strengthen its presence in the region. The purchase of the Richmond and Manasses will add an estimated 350 MW of planned future capacity.  

Related:Financing Strategies for Data Center Operations: A Comprehensive Guide

Core Scientific says it will spend $6.1 billion to turn its bitcoin mining site in Denton into an AI data center. The investment is expected to lead to $194 million in property tax over a decade, according to The Dallas Morning News.

The news comes as CleanArc said it’s developing a new data center in Virginia’s Caroline County, while AVAIO Digital said approval has been granted for its 76-acre Perseus Data Center Project at the Pittsburg Technology Park. 

Meta continues to target multibillion-dollar data center investments, with reports this month indicating the Facebook parent company is planning to build an AI-ready facility near the city of Monroe, Louisiana.  

The demand for nuclear projects continues, with Meta announcing it was seeking as much as 4 GW of new nuclear energy as the company looks for a reliable electricity source for its data centers. 

The news came as Amazon said it would build a data center campus next to a Pennsylvania nuclear plant after US regulators rejected a special power deal, and Oklo agreed to deliver as much as 750 MW of electricity from nuclear reactors it plans to build to two data center companies.

Related:How Data Center Reference Design Can Streamline Your Infrastructure Planning

Microsoft said it is building its first wooden data centers made with superstrong ultra-lightweight wood in a bid to slash the use of steel and concrete, which are among the most significant sources of carbon emissions.  

More North American data center news:

A rendering of WS Computing’s new data center facility in Gromstul, Norway. (IMAGE: SKANSKA)

European Data Center Developments

In Europe, UK data center operator Latos Data Centres said it will be delivering its first hyperscale data center in Cardiff, Wales, and a total of 40 new data centers across the UK by 2030. 

The Cardiff data center will be a Tier III facility designed to meet the needs of the most demanding global technology companies, the company said. 

Meanwhile, Nordic colocation provider atNorth is planning to expand two of its data centers in Iceland. The ICE02 campus near Keflavík, will gain an additional capacity of 35 MW, and the recently opened ICE03 site in Akureyri will gain additional capacity of 16 MW.

Related:Global Data Center Market Projected to Near $500 Billion by 2029

The announcement came as Skanska signed a $50 million contract with WS Computing AS to build the core and shell for a new data center facility at Gromstul, Norway.

Backed by investment management firm DTCP, GreenScale launched with the acquisition of Atlantic Hub, Northern Ireland’s largest data center based in Derry, complemented by a strategic site in Donegal, Ireland, totaling 170 MW of capacity. 

More European data center news this month: 

Asia-Pacific Data Centers Builds

In Asia-Pacific data center news, GDS International announced its entry into Thailand with a committed investment of up to $1 billion to develop a hyperscale data center park in Chonburi province, southeast of Bangkok. 

Indian developer RMZ Corporation is spending $1.7 billion in building two data centers, and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board announced a $700 million joint venture with Pacific Asset Management Company to develop carrier-neutral hyperscale data centers in South Korea.  

Shanghai DC-Science, a Chinese data center developer and operator, is seeking a loan of about $600 million to $700 million to fund a data center project in Malaysia. 

More Asia-Pacific data center news this month: 

Teraco started construction of a new 40 MW data center near Johannesburg, South Africa. (IMAGE: TERACO)

Middle East and Africa Data Center Investments

Teraco said construction commenced on a new hyperscale data center with 40 MW of critical power load at its Isando Campus in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. 

The facility, known as JB7, is currently scheduled for completion in 2026 and will incorporate the latest environmentally sustainable cooling and water management designs, the Digital Realty subsidiary said. 

Ezditek broke ground on its flagship data center facility, RUH01, in Riyadh to support AI and cloud growth in Saudi Arabia. The facility is expected to go live in Q1 2026.   

Batelco signed a memorandum of understanding with Qareeb Data Centers at the Gateway Gulf Investment Forum 2024. The collaboration aims to create a new data center in Bahrain. 

Finally, Equinix opened new data centers in Türkiye and Oman.