Creating the hyperscale sustainable market approach in LATAM
Scala Data Centers is the leading Latin American platform for sustainable data centres in the Hyperscale market and, for us, the commitment to sustainability is non-negotiable, it has been part of our DNA since we started operating in 2020.
Our numbers are particularly impressive since the company was created during the pandemic. We already have more than 750 employees and have invested more than R$6 billion (about US$1.1bn) in projects in Latin America, going from 17MW in bookings to 150MW, doubling the size of the data centre market in the region. In addition, we have the largest data centre campus in Latin America and the TOP 5 in the world, with 600MW of projected power, in Tamboré, São Paulo, Brazil. By 2027, we will have data centres in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, with a portfolio of more than 900MW, foreseeing an additional investment that could reach US$3.5bn.
Who is Scala?
The company builds and operates state-of-the-art single-tenant data centres for hyperscale customers on long-term contracts. We assume with them a strong commitment of capacity for expansion, providing them the comfort of growing for decades in the same place and with a reliable partner. Our strategy is to grow with data centre campuses, similar to what happens in mature markets like in the United States, enabling new markets across Latin America.
For this, we understood, from the beginning, that it was vital to have an in-house team with deep expertise in engineering, design, and sustainability of Hyperscale data centres, something unheard of in Latin America. This team should control the entire chain, from test fit and project development, through construction, commissioning to operation. Thus, we created our Center of Excellence in Engineering (CoE), with more than 200 engineers, architects, and data centre specialists throughout Latin America.
This team has developed proprietary building methods like the One Scala Template, which ensures the highest quality, flexible single-tenant design, and custom solution for massive capacities across our HyperCore campuses. CoE also created the FastDeploy solution, which consists of prefabricated and transportable modular components and allows the state-of-the-art data centres deployment up to 50% faster compared to conventional data centres, while maintaining the same quality and security experience.
Walk the talk on sustainability
We believe that actions are more effective than promises and our commitment to sustainability is a collection of concrete and expressive results. This commitment is part of our essence and the basis of our business model. We were the first in Latin America to have data centres exclusively supplied by renewable and certified energy. In addition, our new sites consume natural resources with maximum efficiency, having a Design Energy Use Efficiency (PUE), below 1.40. Their Water Use Efficiency (WUE), which represents the amount of water used per KWh, is zero, as they are air-cooled and do not use water in this process.
We believe that infrastructure and education contribute massively to the evolution of society and that is the reason we train our talents and generate value in the communities where we operate. Since its founding, Scala has awarded more than 52 full scholarships to higher education courses in Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and has recently expanded this initiative. Through the ‘Megawatt de Oportunidades’ (Megawatt of Opportunities) Program, we are committed to granting a scholarship for every 1MW hired in the place where this capacity will be implemented. The program also includes dedicated mentoring with one of our executives and a job opportunity. The goal is ambitious and fills us with pride: in 2023, 150 students will be benefited, thus we will generate millions of opportunities in someone's life and a brighter future for their families.
Because scaling results is how we build the future. A sustainable future with clean energy, carbon neutrality, energy efficiency, safety, security, and education granted in a full employment environment.
Christiana Weisshuhn is the Senior Director of ESG Program and Strategy and Chief of Staff at Scala Data Centers.
