Por: Pedro Ozores
Tecto Data Centers, the datacenter unit of Brazilian digital infrastructure company V.tal, is upbeat about demand for its future 200MW hyperscale-oriented datacenter campus in Santana do Parnaíba, São Paulo state. The company already has rm demand from a major client for the site and all main licenses for the project secured, while approval from power system operator ONS for connection to the grid is expected soon, Pedro Henrique Fragoso, CEO of Tecto Data Centers, told BNamericas.
“It’s a very interesting piece of land because it’s literally next to the power substation and has a very privileged location,” said Fragoso, who is also a partner at V.tal’s controller and main investor BTG Pactual.
“This piece of land was developed by a partner who conceived a datacenter and already has regulatory approval. This means that the time-to-market for our client is shorter.”
Since the land is already “shovel-ready,” earthworks are expected to begin next week. In addition to the basic grid substation, Tecto will build its own substation for the project.
If completed to the full 200MW projected capacity, the complex will stand among the largest datacenter campuses not only in Brazil but in Latin America.
The main construction company in charge of the Santana do Parnaíba project is still to be decided. Tecto is evaluating proposals and should select its partner soon, according to Fragoso.
The expectation is for the rst phase of the datacenter to open in late 2026 or early 2027. The company has already dened the estimated power for the rst stage, information that according to Fragoso is strategic.
Initially, the site is designed to be anchor-tenant, dedicated to a main client in the technology sector, but there is a possibility of adapting the campus prole to a multi-tenant model.
“If all demand [200MW] comes from this single tenant of ours, the project may be a completely unique build. But if that demand is not there, if that complete demand does not come, it could be a multitenant campus as well,” said the CEO. “The site has such versatility.”
The investment in the Santana do Parnaíba project falls under Tecto’s US$1bn capex plan earmarked for the construction and development of datacenters in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America in the coming years.
Mega Lobster
For the third datacenter that V.tal, through Tecto, is building in Fortaleza, known as Mega Lobster, there is a possibility of bringing forward the activation date.
Initially, the rst phase of Mega Lobster was expected for Q4 this year. Fragoso, however, believes the site could be activated in the third quarter.
Currently, Mega Lobster has approximately 50% of its civil works completed, said the executive. Construction is being carried out by Afonso França Engenharia.
The total projected capacity of the building is 20MW.
“We are among the main players in the region. We believe strongly in Fortaleza and in the development of the data ecosystem,” said Fragoso.
AI and Brazil potential
Fragoso sees Brazil as well-positioned to capture the main data infrastructure demand arising from AI and from large data processing.
However, he says it is necessary to pay attention to regulatory details and to focus on incentives to attract these investments. Like other companies in the sector, Tecto’s CEO is critical of the current wording of the AI framework approved by Brazil’s senate.
“Our biggest competitors today are other countries. Because if this [AI datacenter] wave really comes to Brazil as we imagine, there will be demand for everyone. It’s a lot of capacity. But Brazil cannot miss this window of opportunity.”
