Terranova breaks ground on 300MW AI-ready data center campus near São Paulo, Brazil

Latin American data center developer Terranova has commenced construction on a new hyperscale campus in Campinas, outside São Paulo, Brazil, marking a significant step in the region's push to build digital infrastructure tailored for the AI era. The initial phase, anchored by a 300MW substation, is scheduled to go live in December 2027, with the site designed to support future expansion of up to 1GW.

The company announced this week that work has officially started on the first phase of Campus Campinas. The project will feature a substation with an initial capacity of 300MW, which the firm says could eventually scale beyond 1GW as demand grows. The campus will occupy a site of approximately 944,000 square meters, of which around 115,000 square meters will be developed as built-up area. The remainder will be preserved as green space or donated to the municipality, along with urban infrastructure including public roads and water and wastewater treatment plants.

The initial construction phase represents an investment exceeding $500 million (2.6 billion reais), with additional funding planned through the implementation stages scheduled until 2029. The project will employ liquid cooling technology with a closed-loop water system, designed to significantly reduce water consumption—a critical consideration in a region where water resources are increasingly under pressure.

Mauricio Giusti, managing director of Actis and interim CEO of Terranova, said the start of construction represents a historic step for the company and for Latin America's digital infrastructure. He noted that the complex was designed specifically for the AI era, with capacity geared toward global hyperscale operations and innovative sustainability technologies.

Terranova was launched by investment firm Actis late last year, with plans to invest $1.5 billion over the next three years to develop a portfolio of data center campuses in Brazil, Mexico, and Chile, with additional markets under evaluation. The company has reportedly secured land and power supply in strategic locations, with the goal of scaling up to 1GW of future capacity across the region.

The announcement underscores a broader trend of global investors and operators betting on Latin America as an emerging hub for hyperscale data center development, driven by growing demand for AI and cloud services. The Campinas campus, positioned as one of the first AI-focused data center projects in the region, could set a benchmark for how future facilities are designed and built in Latin America, particularly in terms of energy efficiency and sustainable construction practices.