Avaio has signed a renewable energy deal for its upcoming data center project outside Ottawa, Canada.
Avaio Digital Partners (ADP) this week announced a partnership with Quebec-based renewable energy firm, Sunbird Energy.
Founded in 2022, Sunbird designs, installs, commissions, and maintains solar photovoltaic systems.
The partnership integrates Sunbird’s renewable energy capabilities with ADP’s data center project in development in Gatineau, Quebec. Further details of the deployment weren’t shared but Sunbird said it would be a solar and energy storage project.
Avaio announced plans for a 52-acre, 50MW data center project in Gatineau alongside Adam Real Estate in early 2022.
Gatineau is to the north of Ottawa city on the other side of the Ottawa River. Timelines or facility sizes haven’t been shared.
The company has previously said the campus will be powered by hydropower from local utility HydroQuebec.
“As a leader in the development of new sustainable energy solutions in Quebec, Sunbird is an ideal partner for ADP’s Gatineau project,” said Avaio Partner Anthony Gordon. “Quebec is an ideal proving ground for new renewable power and digital infrastructure integration strategies, and Sunbird is the right local partner to bring this project forward and make the Outaouais Region a new zone of digital and sustainable energy innovation.”
Gordon continued: “We have been waiting for two years for Hydro Quebec to provide us with a contract for connecting to the grid, which is the last element needed before we can move forward with this innovative project. We hope Hydro Quebec and the Quebec government will see the promise this approach offers for supporting Quebec’s technology, industrial, and environmental goals.”
“Sunbird Energy is proud to partner with Avaio Digital Partners on this major digital infrastructure project,” added Simon Lafleur, founder and president of Sunbird Energy. “This partnership highlights our commitment to renewable energy and underscores our dedication to supporting the energy transition and promoting sustainable economic development."
He continued: "By deploying our solar and energy storage solution, connected to our advanced energy management software, we are providing our partner the tools they need to build a data center that will preserve the integrity of Hydro-Québec's grid in the region, while setting a new standard for diligent data centers in the province. We're pleased to see Avaio adopt Sunbird's new vision of energy consumption.”
Founded in 2016, Avaio Capital is a US infrastructure investment firm focused on the digital, water, energy transition, and transportation sectors. The company launched Avaio Digital Partners in early 2021 to focus on build-to-suit development and construction of sustainable hyperscale data centers in the Americas and Europe.
ADP has a 500MW pipeline under development in the US, Canada, and Europe. Avaio said the data center developer is funded by a $750 million equity commitment from a large investment manager with more than $25 billion of assets under management.
The company previously acquired two plots of land earmarked for data centers in Killala, Ireland; announced plans for a 50MW project outside Ottawa, Canada; and acquired a defunct golf course in Pittsburg, California, on which it plans to develop a technology park and data center.
According to Avaio’s website, the company has data center sites under development in Gatineau, Canada; Ruther Glen in Virginia’s Caroline County; Pittsburg, California; Algete, Spain; and Killala, Ireland.
Further sites listed as under negotiation include ‘Western Ireland’; Barcelona, Spain; Berlin, Germany; Appomattox, Virginia; Jackson, Mississippi; Little Rock, Arkansas; and ‘Central Texas.’
Previous reports from April suggest Avaio Digital was looking to offload three development sites in the US and one in Madrid, Spain, in a deal that could be worth up to $400m.
