Google Starts Construction of $850M Data Center in Uruguay

Google has broken ground on a new data center in Canelones, Uruguay, marking its second major infrastructure investment in Latin America.

This $850 million project aims to meet the increasing demand for cloud services while advancing AI capabilities and supporting economic growth in the region.

The new facility will complement Google’s existing data center in Chile, which opened in 2015.

Google has also been investing in digital skills training to prepare the next generation of professionals for careers in technology to support the broader goal of digital transformation in Latin America.

The company’s Google Cloud Skills Boost platform, which offers on-demand training, is already working with over 550 universities in Latin America. In the past 18 months, more than 35,000 digital skill badges have been awarded to students and developers, further promoting AI expertise in the region.

Google is collaborating with the Universidad Tecnológica and Universidad de Montevideo to incorporate tech-focused content into their curriculums. It is also working with the National Development Agency and the National Agency of Research and Innovation to support startup academies.

“We hope our new data center in Canelones will be a significant contribution to the professional and technological development of Uruguay and the entire region,” Google said in a blog post.

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“As we break ground and as we do in each of our data center communities, we will continue investing resources in data center community impact programs that harness the full potential of technology, including digital skills training and new projects that generate economic and social impact.”

The new Uruguay site will rely heavily on renewable energy, with more than 90% of Uruguay’s energy matrix coming from renewable sources. Google operates 28 data centers in 11 countries and claims they are on average 1.8 times more energy-efficient than a typical data center.

Google’s expansion into Uruguay is part of a wider effort to improve digital infrastructure in Latin America. The company has already invested in subsea cables including Humboldt, the first cable linking South America and Asia-Pacific. It has also established Google Cloud regions in São Paulo and Santiago, with Querétaro, Mexico to follow.