Equinix and PGIM Real Estate have unveiled the first hyperscale ‘xScale’ data centre located in Sydney, Australia – SY9x.

SY9x provides over 14 MW of power capacity, increasing to 28 MW upon completion. SY9x is the first of two data centres to be developed under the joint venture, with the second ­­– SY10x – set to provide more than 28 MW of capacity. At full build, the two xScale facilities will offer over 55 MW capacity combined.

The launch of SY9x follows the closing of a US$575 million Australian joint venture between Equinix and PGIM Real Estate in March 2022. PGIM Real Estate and Equinix own 80% and 20% equity interest in the joint investment, respectively, with Equinix responsible for the operation of the data centres.

According to Equinix, it has also established joint ventures to build xScale data centres in Seoul, Osaka and Tokyo. In addition to Sydney, the company has plans for 10 xScale data centres across Asia Pacific, to deliver approximately 240 MW of capacity on completion.

“Since 2013, PGIM Real Estate has been investing in the vibrant and growing data centre sector and we are now delighted to be opening our first hyperscale data centre in Australia in partnership with Equinix,” said Morgan Laughlin, Global Head of Data Centre Investments, PGIM Real Estate.

“PGIM Real Estate is projecting to continue expanding its investments in the global digital infrastructure sector, and we view our co-investment relationship with Equinix as an extremely important component of that strategic effort.”

Guy Danskine, Managing Director, Equinix Australia, added “To address the increasing demand for cloud and digital infrastructure, the opening of our first xScale data centre in Australia in tandem with the continued expansion of our International Business Exchange data centre capacity across the country ensure more and more organidsations can implement their digital-first strategies. This infrastructure enables our customers to scale their operations, deliver exceptional customer experiences and unlock the value of artificial intelligence, machine learning, 5G and other emerging technologies.”

Following the closing of the joint venture in Australia, Equinix’s global xScale data centre portfolio will comprise upwards of US$8 billion of investment across 36 facilities, expecting to deliver more than 720 MW of power capacity when fully built out.