A plan has been announced to develop a containerised data centre at the former site of Nippon Paper Industries’ Kushiro Mill. Operations are expected to begin at 6 MW initially, expand to 40 MW by September 2027, and ultimately reach 150 MW.
Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions (TGES) and others announced plans to operate a containerised data centre business at the former site of Nippon Paper Industries’ Kushiro Mill. The number of employees and project cost have not been determined, but Nippon Paper Industries will provide the site and electricity, while TGES will handle coordination and construction.
The site covers approximately 800,000 square metres, a large area, with up to 50,000 square metres expected to be used for the data centre. As the initial stage, 6 MW is scheduled to become operational within this fiscal year, followed by expansion to 40 MW in September 2027. The project ultimately aims to reach 150 MW by using distributed power sources, including TGES gas-fired power generation facilities.
Kushiro’s cool climate is considered favourable for data centre cooling, and the plan expressed an intention to contribute to the development of a new industrial base for the city through phased expansion.
Mayor Tsuruma Hidenori (鶴間 秀典) commented that he hopes the project will help expand the city’s IT industry and create a foundation for talent development.