MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY — Google has announced plans to construct an $850 million data center in Uruguay, marking a significant expansion of its operations in South America. This new facility, to be located in Parque de las Ciencias, approximately 30 km from Montevideo, will support a variety of Google’s digital services including Search, YouTube, Maps, and Workspace.

According to Burkina Information Agency, president of Google Cloud Latin America, the announcement underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to Latin America, its focus on sustainability, and its belief in Uruguay as a regional hub of innovation. “We are very pleased to announce this important milestone that aligns with three key commitments,” Lopez stated in a press release.

The new data center will be Google’s second facility in South America, following the Quilicura center in Chile, which opened in 2015. Negotiations for this project in Uruguay started back in 2019 under the administration of former President Tabaré Vazquez, with construction greenlighted after securing the necessary environmental permits.

The project has stirred environmental concerns, particularly regarding water usage amidst Uruguay’s recent severe droughts. In response, Google emphasized that the new facility would utilize air-cooled technology to minimize environmental impact. “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and our data centers are designed and operated according to its principles,” Lopez added, noting the shared values with the Uruguayan community.

Once operational, the Uruguayan data center will join Google’s global network of 28 data centers, reinforcing the tech giant’s infrastructure and service capacity across the globe.