from ODIRILE TOTENG in Gaborone, Botswana
Botswana Bureau
GABORONE, (CAJ News) – A NETHERLANDS-based energy developer and a United States-based data centre operator have joined forces to develop a -megawatt in Botswana.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between AAAS Energy and ChillMine Corporation respectively aims to establish a world-class facility designed to serve artificial intelligence (AI) computing, global hyperscalers, and energy-intensive computing operations in the southern African nation.
The new data centre campus is to be built to meet the growing demand for reliable, scalable,and economically viable data infrastructure in the Southern African region.
It aims to cater specifically to clients like large-scale cloud providers who require vast amounts of uninterrupted, low-cost power to support their operations.
Maarten Mennes, Managing Director of AAAS, said the MoU with ChillMine was a significant step in a vision to connect sustainable energy development with the digital economy.
“By combining power from the Solar PV + BESS Project with natural gas projects in Botswana, currently being developed by third parties, we are creating a unique value proposition for global technology companies seeking to expand into Africa,” Mennes said.
AAAS will approach its joint development partner to include the data centre campus in an energy hub and industrial park near Palapye, the eastern town 240 kilometres from the capital Gaborone.
This consists of a 250-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) project.
This project is hailed for the potential to provide a consistent and powerful energy source, ensuring operational stability and efficiency for the data centre facilities.
Brian Neirby, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of ChillMine said, “The combination of the energy infrastructure under development and our operational experience will enable us to deliver a best-in-class, high-performance data centre campus that can meet the rigorous demands of the world’s most sophisticated technology users.”
– CAJ News