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Scala Data Centers issues $250M in green debentures

Scala Data Centers, a Latin American sustainable data centre platform, has announced a new issuance of green debentures totaling $250 million, with a maturity period of six years. These funds will augment the company’s existing investments and will be directed towards completing the largest data centre facility in Latin America, the SGRUTB09, which boasts a 36 MW IT capacity.

The new development will offer high energy efficiency, with an annual average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) below 1.3 and a Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) of zero, along with carbon neutrality.

SGRUTB09, currently in an advanced construction phase, is located in São Paulo within the Tamboré Campus. With a projected IT capacity of 450 MW, this campus is the largest of its kind in Latin America. The site is dedicated to a single Hyperscale client in the Cloud and content sector. The total investment for this project is US$ 350 million, with the remaining capital sourced from Scala and its investors. The centre is expected to be operational by the second half of 2025.

Designed to support mixed Cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI) workloads, the facility features Scala’s FutureProof design from its Center of Excellence in Engineering (CoE). This design allows for variable and scalable rack densities to meet the increasing demands of AI.

“The demand for digital infrastructure is growing exponentially, accelerated by the advancement of Artificial Intelligence. In response, we are proud to issue our third green debenture, reaffirming our unwavering commitment to sustainability. This strategic initiative not only allows us to efficiently finance the expansion of our data centers but also solidifies our position as leaders in sustainable and scalable technological solutions,” says Marcos Peigo, CEO and co-founder of Scala.

This marks Scala’s fourth debenture issuance and the third green one, reflecting the company’s dedication to sustainable practices since its inception. These practices include maintaining the lowest PUE in Latin America, achieving carbon neutrality in its operations from the start, and engaging in educational and professional development initiatives within the communities where it operates. Through these three green debenture transactions, Scala has raised BRL 4.4 billion (US$ 803 million) in investments, setting a record in Brazil.

The new issuance was primarily coordinated by Bradesco BBI, with support from UBS BB, Santander, and Itaú BBA. Market offers exceeded the transaction value by 3.2 times, marking a record for the company. As with the previous debenture, the operation was conducted in Brazilian Reais (BRL) with a US Dollar swap to protect the company against exchange rate fluctuations, aligning the debt profile with the currency of its contracts, most of which generate revenue in US dollars.

Clayton Malheiros, the company’s CFO said, “We are operating in a growing market with extraordinary growth potential, but still relatively unexplored by the financial sector. Our effort has been to demonstrate how the data center sector works and highlight Scala’s exceptional position as a leader in this growth in Latin America. This approach has attracted increasing interest from banks that previously did not participate but now recognize the value and potential of our projects.”