Cape Town Approves Equinix Data Centre Project

Cape Town authorities have approved plans by U.S.-listed technology company Equinix to develop two large data centres in the city, despite objections from environmental and community groups over the project’s anticipated demand for electricity and water.

The approval paves the way for the proposed development in the King Air Industria area, where demand for digital infrastructure continues to increase as businesses expand cloud computing and data storage services across Africa.

The two facilities are expected to require about 170 megawatts of electricity, making the project one of the largest planned data centre developments in South Africa. By comparison, Teraco, Africa’s largest data centre operator, currently has about 189 megawatts of critical power capacity across its campuses.

The proposal faced objections during tribunal hearings from South Africa’s Housing Assembly and UK-based technology advocacy organisation Foxglove, represented by the Legal Resources Centre. The groups argued that the environmental assessment did not provide sufficient information about the project’s long-term impact on electricity supply, water resources and surrounding communities.

Foxglove said local residents were entitled to greater transparency regarding the development’s potential environmental effects and confirmed it was considering an appeal against the approval.

Equinix said it had acquired land for the project but had not yet submitted a site development plan, which is required before construction can begin. The company said it would continue engaging with local authorities, utility providers and affected communities throughout the planning process. A construction timeline has not yet been announced, and further regulatory approvals may still be required before development proceeds.

SOURCE: Reuters