A HYPERSCALER data center which promises to be the country’s largest is being planned for Cainta, Rizal by a Singapore data company, SpaceDC, involving the investment of more than $700 million, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.
In a statement on Wednesday, the DTI said Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez met with SpaceDC Chief Executive Officer Darren Hawkins and Chief Investment Officer Joshua Robinson on Feb. 28 to discuss the project, to be known as MNL1 Data Center.
“Hyperscalers are global technology companies providing cloud and internet-based services, which require huge amounts of space, power, and connectivity because of their massive customer base and user demand surges,” the DTI said.
The SpaceDC is investing over $700 million in its proposed 72-megawatt hyperscale data center in Cainta, Rizal. The center is projected to begin by the end of 2022 and expand by 2023. It will be powered by renewable energy.
The facility will have power demand of about 72 megawatts, servicing the growing demand for data as the Philippine digital transition gathers momentum.
Board of Investments Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo said the project can spark the development of renewable energy in the Philippines.
“This project by the SpaceDC to establish the Philippines’ biggest hyperscale data center is… a leap forward toward our goal for the country to be the next hyperscaler hub in the Asia-Pacific region. We are on the right track…,” Mr. Rodolfo said.
Mr. Lopez said the investment environment is currently favorable following the passage of amendments to the Foreign Investments Act, the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, and the Public Service Act, as well as the reform of the tax incentive system under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act.
“The hyperscaler industry cultivates the developer community and startup ecosystem and increases digital adoption of consumers and enterprises; it will also bring in faster and more reliable access to hyperscaler-hosted platforms and content for users in the Philippines,” the DTI said.
Citing Global Data estimates, the DTI said Philippine enterprise spending on cloud services is expected to grow from $1.8 billion to $2.6 billion by 2024.” — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
