Odata extends LatAm footprint with new Chile datacenter, expansions

Brazilian datacenter firm Odata, owned by US Aligned Data Centers, opened a second larger Chilean facility as it advances with expansions of capacity of other datacenters in Latin America.

Covering 34,000m2 and with 40.6MW of total projected capacity at the end of all phases of expansion, the single-tenant ST02 datacenter, located in San Bernardo, south of Santiago, is going live with 10.6MW committed to a hyperscale customer.

“This is one of the biggest buildings we’ve ever built. Obviously, it's phased, like any other project of this type. 40.6MW in a single building represents one of the largest projects of its kind in Chile and certainly in Latin America,” Odata CEO Ricardo Alário told BNamericas.

The total investment in the project was not disclosed.

The unit is already in operation. The client, one of the large global technology companies, is in the process of occupying the space with servers and equipment. A final acceptance term, the so-called turnkey delivery, was signed in Santiago last week.

The datacenter already has a first expansion practically ready that will add another 3.4MW in a new data hall and which will be activated by the second quarter of 2024, according to the executive.

In addition to this first expansion, ST02 has three more expansions planned to reach total capacity of 40.6MW.

The exact timing of these expansions depends on the flow of customer demand for more storage and processing capacity for operations.

Odata is currently talking with the client regarding the possibility of a renewable energy power purchase agreement (PPA) for the project.

The purchase of energy is always done by Odata on behalf of the customer, explained Alário. The client already has a PPA in force in the country, which is still in effect.

In terms of energy efficiency, the power usage effectiveness (PUE) of Odata's operations in Chile should be around 1.4.

This metric is calculated by dividing the total facility power (the power entering the site) by the power of the IT equipment (the power effectively used to run the machines). The lower it is, the more efficient the datacenter.

EXPANSIONS

In addition to opening ST02, Odata announced the expansion of its first campus in the country, ST01, with a second building.

ST01 is 100% powered by contracted renewable energy.

According to Alário, the decision to expand ST01 and build ST02 in Santiago was driven by the growing hyperscale demand for capacity and connectivity in the region, thanks to the increase in digitization.

Including Odata's first datacenter in Chile, the company's total projected capacity in the country will be 81MW.

In Colombia, the company's first datacenter is approaching its maximum capacity and Odata is already preparing an expansion over the next year.

Alário said there is still available capacity at Bogotá's BG01 site, but that capacity will soon be exhausted depending on certain commercial contracts about to be signed.

The company owns land adjacent to the first building, where the expansion will likely be carried out.

Mexico is the country where Odata is currently growing the most. The company is in the process of delivering a second building and intends to begin construction on a third site shortly.

The company's second datacenter in Mexico should be delivered in the first quarter of 2024. 

In total, considering all the projected capacity and the power contracted for the projects, Odata's operation in Mexico has the potential to reach 130MW.

In Rio de Janeiro, Odata's client brought forward the capacity it was planned to use for the entire project cycle due to greater demand.

“In this case, we've already sold the entire building, we've advanced everything and we're rushing to deliver it all by 2025,” said Alário. 

"We have great plans for regional expansion," Aligned CEO Andrew Schapp told BNamericas in December. "The investments will specifically cover all the LatAm markets that Odata is serving [Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Chile], but we're also keeping an eye out for new markets."

Aligned bought Odata from Brazilian asset manager Pátria Investimentos last December for an estimated 10bn reais (US$2.1bn). The deal was completed in May.

Considering the new Chilean site, Odata now has three datacenters operating in Brazil, two in Chile and one each in Colombia and Mexico.