CloudHQ to invest US$3bn in a 288MW Brazil datacenter campus

US firm CloudHQ will invest up to US$3bn in a 288MW datacenter campus in Paulínia, São Paulo state.

A groundbreaking event on the site is scheduled for March 1, the company said in a release. The project is the company's first in the country and marks the entry of the group into Brazil's increasingly competitive hyperscale datacenter market.

CloudHQ is a global datacenter provider that specializes in the design, development, and operation of carrier neutral, hyperscale sites.

The company's GRU technology campus is located in an established technology hub in the region and offers up to 288MW of IT load capacity across six buildings. Civil construction works have started and are being carried out by Afonso França Engenharia.

The first phase comprises three buildings with 48MW of IT capacity each. A second phase will add further three buildings of equal capacity. The company did not detail a specific timeline for the activation of these sites.

The campus will also rely on an underground fiber route to connect the project to major internet exchange points in the region and cloud providers. According to the company, related construction has been concluded.

The campus will be supplied by a 225MW power substation, with potential for 400MW. Furthermore, the transmission lines that will link the site to Brazil's high-voltage power grid are under construction, with completion scheduled for the first half of 2024, according to a company statement.

“Paulínia is the ideal location for a hyperscale datacenter campus due to its strategic location in a technology hub. It is also close to São Paulo, the largest metropolitan region in South America and an important financial, technology and innovation center,” Gabriel Alday, business development and leasing manager, said.

CloudHQ has a second datacenter under development in Rio de Janeiro. Unlike Paulínia, this site will be erected on land bought by the company, located in São João de Meriti, Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region.

According to the company, the power availability was approved and CloudHQ is in the process of obtaining construction licenses. 

“Brazil is one of the most dynamic and promising markets for digital services in Latin America. We are excited to enter this region with world-class solutions. Our new campus in Paulínia will offer unrivaled scalability, efficiency and reliability to our customers who demand high performance, low latency and secure connectivity,” CEO Hossein Fateh said.

The company is also interested in expanding in Latin America, with Mexico likely to follow Brazil. CloudHQ said other Latin American countries are also under study.