KIX01A is part of ESR’s pipeline of four data centre assets in Japan (Image: ESR)
Hong Kong-listed industrial giant ESR and US hyperscaler Stack Infrastructure have extended their partnership into Japan by starting construction of an 18-megawatt data centre in Keihanna, a suburban server-hosting hotspot east of Osaka.
Dubbed KIX01A, the building marks the first phase of the 72MW KIX01 data centre campus, ESR said Monday in a release. KIX01A is pre-certified as LEED Gold for sustainability and is expected to enter service in the second quarter of 2027.
ESR and Stack are also developing a 48MW data centre in South Korea’s Incheon, west of Seoul, as the companies seek to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence, cloud and 5G+ applications. In Japan, ESR’s first hyperscale campus, the 130MW Cosmosquare in Osaka, is set to open its 25MW first phase in June under a tie-up with US builder CloudHQ.
“Building large-scale campus developments is a unique capability of ESR through our deep in-market expertise in accessing land and power and long-term commitment to collaborate with the local community to maximise positive impact for all stakeholders,” said co-founder and co-CEO Stuart Gibson. “By combining our strengths and capabilities with Stack, we can meet our hyperscale customers’ needs in a high-growth market and drive value for our investors.”
Hyperscale Hub
The 72MW Keihanna campus promises robust access to power and network connectivity and flexible options ranging from co-location to build-to-suit offerings, according to ESR.
Stuart Gibson, co-founder and co-CEO of ESR
KIX01A is part of ESR’s pipeline of four data centre assets in Japan and 2 gigawatts of secured land and power across Asia Pacific. Last May, the Warburg Pincus-backed group announced the groundbreaking of a 60MW project in Tokyo’s eastern Koto ward, boosting the company’s pipeline in the country to 320MW.
In the Kansai region encompassing Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto, the Keihanna R&D hub has played host to several hyperscale projects, including Colt Data Centre Services’ 45MW data centre in Keihanna Science City and a 140MW facility under development by EQT-backed EdgeConneX.
Singapore-based SC Capital Partners’ SC Zeus Data Centers is developing a 50MW complex in Osaka’s central business district, with the 25MW first phase expected to begin operating by 2027.
“Kansai has a growing demand for modern, energy efficient digital infrastructure,” said ESR data centres CEO Diarmid Massey. “The ESR-Stack Keihanna campus will deliver state-of-the-art data centre capacity, scalability and flexibility to support hyperscalers and large enterprises in a market that is expected to witness a doubling of critical IT load capacity within the next five years.”
Japan Footprint Grows
For Denver-based Stack, the expansion into the Kansai region follows the development of the company’s existing 36MW campus in Greater Tokyo under a joint venture with global investment firm Oaktree Capital Management.
“Together with ESR, we are proud to bring our proven delivery model and client-first approach to Kansai, enabling hyperscale clients to grow with confidence in this high-demand market,” said Stack APAC CEO Pithambar Gona.
Launched in 2019 by Chicago-based private equity firm IPI Partners (now part of Blue Owl Capital), Stack moved into the APAC market in 2021 with the opening of its Singapore regional headquarters. In 2022, the operator announced its expansion into Australia with projects totalling 124MW in Melbourne, Canberra and Perth under a partnership with property firm Hickory.
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