Southern Energy big data center rises in Gui'an New Area

Fully underway: The construction site of the big data center in the Gui'an New Area. [Photo/WeChat account of Guiyang Release]

In Gui'an New Area, Southwest China's Guizhou province, construction is now fully underway of Southern Energy's big data center.

Staff are currently working flat out on essential tasks like putting in steel reinforcements and bricklaying, adding to the overall picture of a bustling construction scene.

The project, signed in December 2022 with an investment of 1.45 billion yuan ($200 million), will cover 133.8 mu (8.92 hectares) and house 5,000 single 10 kilowatt cabinets, accommodating 100,000 1U servers. A 1U server is a flat server that takes up one unit of space when mounted in a rack mount or pedestal server chassis. 

It aims to meet Southern Power Grid Co's digitalization needs and become a hub for energy data aggregation and value creation.

Currently at 40-percent completion, the first data center building's main structure has topped out, with the second building and support facilities progressing smoothly.

By August, it's expected to meet professional installation requirements for data centers and launch the first batch of 500 cabinets by the year's end.

The initiative is in line with Gui'an New Area's role as a national big data pilot zone. That's already attracted 20 big data centers, providing computational services for various regions and sectors and promoting digital economic innovation.