Foreign Property News | Posted by Shwe Zin Win
Google has won approval from Taiwan’s government to build a second data centre in the country at a cost of around $850m.
Although Google hasn’t confirmed the decision, Taiwan’s Investment Commission said Google’s approved outlay will expand its data centre operations in the country, including the purchase of related equipment.
The commission said Google will make its Taiwan investment through its British Virgin Islands-registered Kohl Holdings Ltd.
In September, Google announced that it wanted to build its second data centre in Tainan.
The first became operational in Changhua County back in 2013.
Construction of the Tainan facility is scheduled to begin at the end of this year at the Tainan Technology Industrial Park, where the US company has already purchased a piece of land.
The first phase of the Changhua data centre is said to have cost Google around $780m. Tainan is expected to cost more though.
The new investment was first mooted back in 2017, with South Korea and Japan also considered for the construction.
All three countries would have offered incentives to Google to build on their territories but Taiwan is believed to have offered much more, and with the first development having gone to plan and to have bedded down well, perhaps Taiwan being chosen shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
The Taiwanese government had previously promised to offer the type of incentives US states offer the hyperscalers to build within their boundaries, and in Taiwan’s case these included land tax incentives.
“To power its high-tech industry and thriving internet economy, Taiwan has invested in reliable infrastructure, innovative world-class talent and a stable and accommodating regulatory environment,” Google said about its original investment.
Ref: Property Report
