Ascenty, the Latin American data center platform jointly owned by Digital Realty and Brookfield Infrastructure, has announced a $1.2 billion investment to build 150MW of new data center capacity across four facilities in Brazil. The buildout, disclosed on May 27, represents roughly 40% of all capacity the company has deployed in its 15-year history and is tied to newly signed large-scale customer contracts
The centerpiece is Sumaré 3, a 90MW facility in São Paulo state’s interior that Ascenty describes as Latin America’s first data center designed from the ground up for large-scale AI workloads. Construction began in March 2026, with initial delivery targeted for Q3 2027. The facility will span approximately 48,000 square meters and support liquid-cooled rack densities of up to 1MW per rackr.
Sixty megawatts of Sumaré 3’s initial capacity have already been contracted to a single global technology client under a single-tenant arrangement. The site also carries expansion optionality for an additional 90MW. The remaining 60MW of contracted capacity in the program is spread across facilities in Vinhedo and São Paulo city.
The Facilities
Beyond Sumaré 3, Ascenty’s 150MW program includes Vinhedo 3, a 90MW single-tenant data center on the company’s existing Vinhedo campus in São Paulo state. The Vinhedo campus is also slated for further expansion with Vinhedo 4 and Vinhedo 5, each planned at 45MW. Separately, the operator announced construction of its sixth data center in the city of São Paulo, adding 20MW of capacity targeting hyperscale and corporate customers [1][2].
The Sumaré 3 facility is specifically engineered for AI inference and training workloads, featuring liquid cooling and closed-loop cooling systems to handle the thermal output of high-density GPU clusters. The 1MW-per-rack density specification positions it well above the 10–30kW range typical of traditional enterprise colocation.
Financing and Ownership
Ascenty is structured as a joint venture between Digital Realty Trust (NYSE: DLR) and Brookfield Infrastructure Partners. CFO Werner Süffert indicated the $1.2 billion capital requirement is nearly fully secured, primarily through project finance facilities and debenture issuance.
The investment is part of a broader $1.5 billion spending plan for Brazil. Ascenty had previously approved $1 billion in capital expenditures for 2026 across its Latin American footprint — spanning Brazil, Mexico, and Chile — but the $1.2 billion figure relates specifically to Brazil’s new 150MW build tied to recently signed leases.
Brazil’s AI Infrastructure Landscape
Ascenty’s expansion comes as Brazil emerges as a key destination for hyperscale and AI-focused data center investment in Latin America. The company currently operates a portfolio of data centers concentrated in São Paulo state, the region’s largest and most interconnected market. The Sumaré campus already houses two operational facilities [1][2].
The pace of contracting — 150MW in roughly three months — underscores surging demand for GPU-dense compute capacity in the region. Ascenty’s decision to build single-tenant, AI-optimized facilities at scale mirrors the architectural shift underway in North American and European markets, where operators are moving from multi-tenant colocation models to purpose-built AI campuses.
Timeline and Economic Impact
All 150MW of contracted capacity is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2027. The Sumaré 3 project alone is expected to generate approximately 600 jobs during peak construction and 120 permanent positions once operational.
Digital Realty, Ascenty’s co-owner, trades at roughly $190 per share with a market capitalization of approximately $66.8 billion. The parent company has been expanding its international footprint aggressively, and the Ascenty buildout adds significant Latin American capacity to Digital Realty’s global portfolio