Vendor-neutral data centre operator Teraco has begun construction of a major expansion to its data centre in Isando, east of Johannesburg, in a move the company says will create the largest such facility in Africa.
The new build, comprising 17 500sq m, will bring the total size of the Isando facility to 9 000sq m of “white space” and 18 500sq m of utility space, said Teraco head of operations Gys Geyser.
Geyser said the volume of data centre space is directly related to the power feed negotiated with the municipality: “We now have a total of 16MVA of power, which will ensure that we can adequately power all the data centres, as well as ensure that they are properly cooled and maintained.”
With an estimated 18-month build time, Geyser said Teraco’s new site should be operational by the end of the year.
The company is implementing a “dynamic free cooling system” in its data centres.
“We have taken what has worked in our previous deployments and applied the latest technology and best practices,” Geyser said.
“Additional support services have been added, such as a water supply system to ensure that our environment can operate independently from council for a period of time, guaranteeing uptime and availability. Aiming for a low power usage effectiveness rating, the new cooling systems will assist Teraco to achieve greater efficiency.”
After completing an environmental impact assessment, Teraco said it was granted permission to store 210 000l of diesel on site, too. This will allow Teraco to keep the site up at maximum load for a minimum of 40 hours.
Teraco operates three data centres — the Isando facility in Johannesburg as well as facilities in Durban and Cape Town. — (c) 2016 NewsCentral Media
