• Africa Data Centres is building a new 10MW facility in the centre of Accra, Ghana.
• The facility can be upgraded to 30MW if there is enough demand, and construction is slated to be completed in the next 12 months.
• The facility is being funded in part by the US government, which recently pledged a $300 million investment in Africa Data Centres’ operations.

A new data centre facility is heading to West Africa, this time in the Ghanaian capital city of Accra.

The new facility, which has just started construction, will be built by Africa Data Centres in the Central Business District of Accra, on its newly acquired land. According to a press release, the new facility has been designed for an initial 10 MW capacity, which can be expanded to 30MW depending on demand.

Africa Data Centres says the new facility will be among the largest in West Africa, second only to its facilities in Nigeria. The new facility will be built on the former Trade Fair showgrounds site, with the first phase of construction scheduled to be completed within the next 12 months.

The company, which is owned by pan-African firm Cassava Technologies, is embarking on continent-wide expansion plans, partially with the help of funding from the US government. It is seeking to launch data centre facilities in 10 of Africa’s economic hubs, including South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Angola.

It already has facilities in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, along with recently announcing that it is expanding the capacity of its Midrand, Johannesburg campus to 100MW, citing increased demand.

The plans to build the facility in the CBD of Accra has attracted praise from the West African country’s leaders, including its president, Nana Akufo-Addo.

“The establishment of Africa Data Centre’s new 10MW data centre, in the heart of Accra, is a significant step towards bridging the infrastructure gap, and developing further our digital economy,” Akufo-Addo enthused.

“This investment and the government’s drive at digitising all sectors of the economy will enable us increase our capacity to access digital services and help even more to attract foreign direct investment into our economy.”

“Our new data centre in Ghana is a significant step towards Africa Data Centres’ goal of narrowing the digital divide in the West Africa region. Hyper-scale data centres, preferred by major US tech companies, multinational corporations, banks and other local enterprises, are the speciality of Africa Data Centres,” adds Tesh Durvasula, CEO of Africa Data Centres.

“Additionally, our data centres are supported with independent solar and battery storage power, enabling us to bring digital technologies whilst mitigating our environmental impact.”

The American government is showing a keen interest in the expansion of data centres across West Africa, and recently gave Africa Data Centres $83 million to work towards its goals. A total investment of $300 million is planned for the company, directly from the coffers of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

“DFC is proud to support African Data Centres. This new facility in Accra will be an investment in critical infrastructure helping to better link the rapidly growing African population and market to global opportunities,” says Scott Nathan, CEO of the DFC.

He adds, “This new data centre will help accomplish that in Ghana and for the region, creating jobs by improving existing business conditions while at the same time attracting data-dependent companies looking to invest and expand their operations.”

[Image – Supplied]