Vantage launches African data centre

Vantage has announced the opening of its first African data centre, located in Johannesburg. The facility, known as JNB1, offers 12,000 square metres of space and 16 MW capacity.

Power for the data centre will be provided through an on-site, 100MVA HV substation with several diverse power feeds to support the campus. The design also includes N+2 redundancy for mechanical systems. Cooling will be provided by two Computer Room Air Handling (CRAH) units and a closed-loop chilled water system with air-side economizers, providing a water utilization efficiency (WUE) of near zero.

JNB1 is the first of three planned data centres for the campus. The existing data centre, plus the two additional facilities planned for future construction, will each offer multiple connectivity options, two fibre pathways per carrier, and 24x7x365 security controls.

The completed project will cost over $1 billion USD, cover 30 acres of space and provide 80 MW of capacity across 60,000 square metres of space.

Vantage has also taken steps to bolster the local electrical grid and lessen the impact of the data centre on community resources, entering into a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with SolarAfrica. This agreement will SolarAfrica’s production of 87MWp of renewable, solar energy while at the same time reducing CO2 emissions by 3.8 million tonnes.

Not only does this PPA ensure that the Johannesburg data centre will be powered, at least in part, by renewable energy – it also provides SolarAfrica with a large invstement that will help to advance further solar projects in the region.

Justin Jenkins, chief operating officer, EMEA at Vantage Data Centres, noted that Vantage is focused on furthering its place as a partner to local businesses and communities. “At Vantage, we pride ourselves on not only our speed to market, but also our commitment to become part of the local community and cement our reputation as a reliable data center partner in the region. This project created hundreds of jobs that will continue into the next phase of construction, and we thank our teams for their dedication and commitment to deliver such a high-quality product for our customers.”

The African data centre market is expected to reach $5.4 billion USD by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 12.7%. Investments in the area are currently focused on South Africa, which accounts for 50% of data centres to date. However, several countries on the continent are developing Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to encourage expansion, while others are working on renewable energy projects to improve grid capacity and reduce the impact of data centres on the environment.