Scala Data Centers plans Chile project expansion

Scala Data Centers has submitted a US$145mn project to expand its datacenter in the Huechuraba district of Chilean capital Santiago, which is currently under construction.

The initiative was presented Wednesday to environmental review agency SEA.

The modification to the SSCLHB01 datacenter project includes an extension of the adjacent land (sub-phase 2 and sub-phase 3) for the construction of two new buildings.

Sub-phase 2 includes the construction of a one-story building to increase data storage capacity. Sub-phase 2 will have eight 2,750kW generator sets and a maintenance team, and 10 1,560kW chiller-type cooling units, warehouses and offices, among others. The total constructed area will be 16,188m2.

The third sub-phase involves the construction of a building to support sub-phase 1, which is under construction, and which will contain only electrical equipment, datacenters and generators. Three generators are planned to act as emergency backup with power of 2,800kW and four chiller-type cooling units of 1,560kW. Its constructed area will be 7,937m2, according to the filing.

Due to its characteristics, the original project had not been submitted to the SEA. With the expansion, Scala Data Centers must secure environmental permits.

The original project includes the construction of a high-rise building with seven generator sets, four 625kW emergency units and two 750kW units, plus one 6,016kW maintenance unit.

Between the three phases, the constructed area reaches 30,198m2.

According to Scala's website, the Huechuraba campus is planned to have total capacity of 4.8MW.

The construction of the expansion is scheduled to begin in March 2025 and last 10 months.

Last year, Scala opened its first hyperscale datacenter in Chile, the SSCLCR01 on the Curauma campus in Valparaíso region.

The 5MW project required investment of US$65mn.

The company plans to invest US$2bn in datacenter launches and expansions in Latin America during 2024 and 2025.