GLP, a prominent APAC logistics real estate company, has launched Ada Infrastructure. The new company focuses on data center projects outside of China, with a current secured IT capacity of 850MW across Japan, the UK, and Brazil. The company has roadmapped an expansion to nearly 1.5 Gigawatts.
Recent developments include the commencement of a new data center in Tokyo, Japan, named Tokyo West 1 (TKW1). This facility will have 31 MWs of power and is expected to be operational by February 2025. Additionally, Ada's website reveals plans for multiple campuses in Japan, including four in Tokyo and one in Osaka, with varying capacities.
In the UK, Ada is working on a 210MW campus in east London's Docklands, set to be operational by 2026. There were also reports last year of GLP reconsidering its plans for a multi-story warehouse in east London, possibly pivoting to a data center project.
In Brazil, GLP has plans for two campuses in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, with a combined capacity of 100MW. These are expected to be operational by 2025.
Ming Mei, GLP's co-founder and CEO, emphasized the pivotal role of data centers in today's digital age, stating, "From scientific breakthroughs to the AI revolution, data centers are at the heart of many modern advancements. With Ada, we aim to shape the future of digital infrastructure while also positively impacting our communities and the environment."
Jennifer Weitzel, a former executive at Microsoft, will spearhead Ada Infrastructure. Under her leadership and with recruits from notable firms like Microsoft, Digital Realty, Kyndryl, and Meta, the unit is poised for success. Weitzel expressed her vision for the company, drawing inspiration from Ada Lovelace, the world's first computer programmer. She emphasized the company's commitment to technological advancement that benefits society at larg
Established in 2009, GLP has been a global frontrunner in logistics and digital infrastructure investments. The company ventured into the data center domain with investments in Chinese data centers in 2018 and later acquired a majority stake in Cloud-Tripod, a local data center entity, in 2019. While GLP has data centers in Changshu and Huailai in China, these facilities will operate independently from Ada.
In 2021, there were speculations about GLP contemplating an exit from the data center industry, potentially selling its business to GDS Holdings, a Chinese cloud and data center firm. However, the deal didn't materialize due to valuation differences.
Rendering of Ada's first facility located West of Tokyo