The “largest” hyperscale data center in the Philippines – to be built at a mammoth cost of $2.7 billion (about P158 billion) – is set to rise in a technology park inside the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.
Construction and engineering firm ENDEC Inc. signed on Tuesday, June 11, a lease agreement with the provincial government of Tarlac to construct the 47-hectare Narra Technology Park which will host the 300 MW data center facility.
William Johnson, CEO of ENDEC Inc., said during the contract signing at the newly opened Solaire Resort North that they chose Tarlac as location for the technology park and data center facility because of the availability of large parcels of land in the area, adding that the master-planned layout of New Clark City is also ideal for a project of this magnitude.
He also said the proximity of the New Clark City to the Clark Freeport Zone ensures the availability of utilities and competent labor force during construction.
Tarlac governor Susan Yap expressed her support for the project, stating that it would boost the employment in the province and attract other tech businesses to set up in the province.
The lease term for the facility is for 50 years, with possible extension of 25 years. The groundbreaking ceremony is expected to happen in August this year.
The project, according to its proponents, would be done in three phases, operating at 100 MW for each phase.
The first phase is expected to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2026, with the succeeding phases being constructed a year after the previous phase, or depending on the uptake of the facility.
Johnson stated that the facility would not only be constructed following the New Clark City standards, but also observing international standards as required by international big tech companies since they are the possible end-users or clients.
The developers are aiming to use Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED)-compliant measures to get a Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) Certification from the Philippine Green Building Council.
The tech park will offer flexibility to be operated by a single offtaker, which would be unique addition to the data center industry as it is estimated that the total operating capacity of data centers in the Philippines is only at 67 MW.
The project is estimated to generate over 1,500 labor jobs during the three-phase construction. Depending on the locators, it could generate about 200 skilled jobs during its operation.
