The SPOAPA01 data center by Scala Data Centers in the Navegantes neighborhood of Porto Alegre, Brazil, is complete and fully operational. Delivered and inaugurated in November 2023, SPOAPA01 represents Scala’s first Hyperscale‑oriented facility in the region with an IT capacity of 4.8 MW. Built using the company’s Fast Deploy modular methodology, the site combines high sustainability metrics (including 100 % renewable energy, PUE < 1.4, and zero water usage via air cooling) with low‑latency connectivity characteristics valued by hyperscale clients. Since its launch, the facility has been listed on Scala’s official operational portfolio, with a built area of 43,809 sq ft.

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SPOAPA01 data center is configured to satisfy the needs for connection as well as distributed computing. 

The cost of establishing the facility

The data center, built at a cost of R$ 240 million, is designed to handle highly scalable, large volumes of data as well as processing. As a result, the facility is dedicated to Hyperscale customers, demanding huge data infrastructures.

The installation, carried out with high energy efficiency standards as well as sustainability, maintains the data center operator’s objective in enabling Latin America’s future. The facility is in line with Scala strategic investment in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Current Status of the Project

As of early 2026, SPOAPA01 remains fully commissioned and listed as fully operational on Scala’s corporate site, forming a core piece of the company’s growing footprint in Latin America where Scala now reports more than 100 MW operational and over 900 MW in development. While specific client identities are not publicly disclosed due to common industry confidentiality practices, SPOAPA01 is designed as a single‑tenant HyperEdge data center dedicated to hyperscale customers. Its strategic value is underscored by connectivity to regional infrastructure and subsea cable systems that support broader digital traffic flows across South America.

This operational status dovetails with ongoing digital infrastructure expansion in Brazil, where high‑capacity network projects like the Electronet Investment of  $30.4 million in Optical Fiber Network Expansion are enhancing backbone connectivity. Those fiber upgrades complement data center growth, creating a more resilient and capable ecosystem for hyperscale services across metropolitan and regional markets.

SPOAPA01 data center location

Located in Navegantes, adjacent to the Salgado Filho International Airport, SPOAPA01 data center sits in an important technology and innovation hub of Rio Grande do Sul city.

The Navegantes site is in a highly connected region and close to the Malbec System, a submarine cable. The cable will soon have a branch linking Porto Alegre to Buenos Aires.

Since the region is highly connected, it places Scala in a strategic position, with huge advantages for clients. This also would offer low-latency communication with the market in Argentina. 

In line with Scala’s portfolio, HyperEdge SPOAPA01 data center is fully powered by  renewable energy. The facility was designed in such a way that it operates with a power usage effectiveness, lower than 1.4. It also operates with a zero water usage effectiveness since it employs air cooling. 

The sustainability goals for the construction were met by the use of Fast Deploy approach. This is Scala’s methodology of construction and proprietary design, allowing deployment in half the time unlike the traditional model.

The remedy is based on integrating prefabricated transportable modular components at the site where the facility is situated, keeping in mind an optimized Hyperscale customer experience.  

The company’s engineers

With more than 400 engineers, data center, and specialist architects, across Latin America, the company’s Center of Excellence in Engineering (CoE) led the company’s pioneer project.

CoE is involved in planning as well as undertaking all construction activities and data center’s operation. It also decides on land, by designing, construction along with commissioning. 

Related projects

Currently, the data center giant runs nine facilities, with four of them commissioned in 2023. Four of its data centers are in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state, Tambore Campus, Barueri. The remaining facilities are located in Sao Paulo, Campinas, Porto Alegre , Sao Joao de Meriti, Curauma (Chile), and Tepotzotlan (Mexico).

Scala, since it was founded in 2020, has made investments exceeding R$ 8 billion in its Latin America endeavors. It looks to reach a 500 MW milestone of distributed capacity in five years in the four countries it seeks to operate from.

Project Fact Sheet – Scala SPOAPA01 Data Center, Porto Alegre

• Project Name: SPOAPA01 Data Center – Scala Data Centers
• Focus Key Phrase: Scala SPOAPA01 data center Porto Alegre
• Location: Navegantes neighborhood, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
• Client/Tenant: Hyperscale customer (single-tenant) – name undisclosed
• Operator: Scala Data Centers
• Project Status: Fully operational since November 2023
• Built Area: 43,809 sqft
• IT Capacity: 4.8 MW (HyperEdge modular facility)
• Construction Methodology: Fast Deploy prefabricated modular components

Sustainability Features:

• 100% renewable energy
• PUE < 1.4
• Zero water usage (air cooling)
• Interconnection / Network Integration:
• Connected to regional fiber and subsea cable networks (e.g., links to Argentina)
• Strategic integration with Scala AI City project in Eldorado do Sul
• Primary Objective: Provide hyperscale customers with scalable, low-latency, energy-efficient infrastructure
• Secondary Objective: Serve as regional connectivity hub for southern Brazil and LatAm expansion

Key Milestones:

• Construction: Completed 2023
• Inauguration/Launch: November 2023
• Operational: 100% since launch

Project Team – Scala SPOAPA01

Owner / Client

• Scala Data Centers Executive Leadership Team
• Chief Operating Officer – Scala LatAm
• Hyperscale Customer (single-tenant) – undisclosed

Design & Engineering

• Scala Data Centers Design & Engineering Division
• Modular Architecture and Prefabrication Team (Fast Deploy methodology)
• Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Consultants

Construction & Deployment

• Local General Contractor (Civil & MEP) – Scala internal management + subcontractors
• Electrical and HVAC Installers
• Data Center Infrastructure Specialists

Operations & Management

• Scala Operations & Facility Management Team
• IT Infrastructure & Network Integration Team
• Renewable Energy and Sustainability Operations Unit
• Regional fiber and subsea cable operators
• Municipal authorities for permitting
• Logistics and equipment suppliers for modular deployment