Africa Data Centres is adding 6MW of capacity to its CPT1 facility, amounting to an additional thousand server racks that customers can lease for their cloud computing needs.
According to a statement on Friday, the company is expanding the facility in response to a growing appetite for computing capacity in the local market.
“This expansion by Africa Data Centres is in response to the increasing demand for co-location capacity in South Africa. Not only is Cape Town the second largest economy in South Africa, but it is also the de facto software and technology hub in Southern Africa,” said Hardy Pemhiwa, CEO of Africa Data Centres parent company Cassava Technologies, in the statement.
Although growth in raw computing capacity is indicative of a society maturing in its digital evolution, the higher electricity demands data centres place on the national grids is a contentious issue worldwide. The problem is exacerbated in South Africa, where a decade-long energy deficit made persistent load shedding a major strain on the economy.
In an effort to mitigate the impact, Africa Data Centres signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with renewable energy producer Distributed Power Africa, a sister company, in March 2023.
The deal will in its first phase offload a portion of CPT1’s energy requirements from the grid onto a solar farm in the Free State through a virtual wheeling platform.
Renewable energy
Construction of the solar farm began in April and the second phase is expected to feed Africa Data Centres’ Gauteng facilities.
The company plans to integrate more renewable energy sources into its existing facilities as well as new builds as it expands on the continent.
“The need for reliable, cost-effective, and green power has never been more critical [in Africa],” said Africa Data Centres interim CEO Finhai Munzara. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media
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