Officials from the Provincial Government of Tarlac and Narra Technology Park Development Inc. (NTPDI) signed on Tuesday an agreement marking the commencement of Narra Technology Park development, a 47-hectare facility that will house a 300-megawatt (MW) hyperscale data center.

The 50-year lease contract signing was led by Tarlac Governor Susan Yap and NTPDI managing director William Johnson at Solaire Resort North in Quezon City.

In his message, Johnson said the country is an ideal location for the data center industry, citing its large industrial land parcels, growing availability of clean renewable energy sources, and supportive digital infrastructure strategy from the government. He said the idea was born in response to the growing demand for data storage and processing.

Thus, Johnson expressed optimism about the economic growth the Narra Technology Park could bring to the Philippines, positioning the country as a leading hyperscale data center destination on the map.

“[This will] help drive the capture of our share of the hyperscale market in the East and Asia-Pacific, and that's precisely our intention. [W]e want to put the Philippines and Tarlac on the map as a data center hub in Asia-Pacific,” he said.

According to him, it was in September 2022 that Narra Technology Park was introduced to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his cabinet in New York City at his roundtable discussion with technology chief executive officers.

“Aside from the normal project development challenges that we all face, much of the past many months in developing Nara Technology Park has been spent building investor and major data center user confidence. Confidence regarding the feasibility of locating these massive hyper-scale data centers in the Philippines,” he said.

“Today's contract signing is both a milestone as well as proof positive that, with the long-term vision of the national leadership for innovative and sustainable projects, development projects such as this, and the capable and vibrant data center industry here in the Philippines, we're now ready and fully capable of being the new technology hub in Asia Pacific,” Johnson added.

At present, the Philippines has an estimated total operational capacity of 67 MW for data centers.

With the development of Narra Technology Park, the country's first and largest 300 MW hyperscale data center will be established, which will be completed in three phases of 100 MW each.

The project is expected to create over 1,500 direct labor jobs for local communities and create about 200 high-quality, skilled jobs in IT operations, maintenance, cybersecurity, and other areas once operational.

“Entering this agreement, the province of Tarlac aimed to cater to business developments that prioritize employment, and in Tarlac, we focus on human capital development. And one of our pillars is, of course, Trabaho Muna, where we press for advancing the skills of our workforce and providing them with a stable source of income,” Governor Yap said in her message.

The NTPDI is committed to environmental sustainability, actively implementing initiatives to minimize Narra Technology Park's ecological impact by prioritizing reliability and sustainability by incorporating energy-efficient technologies, clean renewable energy sources, and advanced cooling systems to reduce carbon footprint and energy consumption, according to Johnson.

Likewise, green certifications such as the Philippine Green Building Council's BERDE (Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence) for their LEED-compliant designs will also be secured.

NPTPDI said the Narra Technology Park aims to be powered by 100% clean renewable energy within the first five years of operations.

The 100 MW Phase 1 hyperscale data center is expected to be fully operational by the fourth quarter of 2026.