The secured funding will be strategically allocated to accelerate the construction of three hyperscale data centers and the Nova Lampa substation in Chile, reinforcing Scala’s commitment to positioning the country as a key hub for sustainable digital infrastructure in the region
SAO PAULO, July 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Scala Data Centers, Latin America’s leading platform for sustainable digital infrastructure serving the hyperscale market, has secured its first international project finance transaction, unlocking USD 254 million in long-term funding to support the construction of three hyperscale data centers and a major power substation in Chile. When combined with a VAT facility, the total financing package reaches USD 328 million – reinforcing Scala’s ability to structure complex, multi-layered financial solutions. This milestone not only advances the company’s regional expansion strategy and commitment to green, high-impact growth, but also represents the largest project finance deal ever executed for a single-country data center initiative in Latin America.
The deal was backed by a consortium of four top-tier global banks – MUFG, SMBC, BNP Paribas, and Natixis – with MUFG also acting as company advisor. This is Scala’s first structured financing executed outside Brazil and its first green-labelled international debt. The operation was designed in alignment with the company’s Green Bond Framework, reflecting its continued leadership in ESG standards and future-ready infrastructure.
Unlike typical deals structured through special purpose vehicles (SPVs), Scala innovated by leveraging its existing Chilean corporate structure, raising the bar for compliance, transparency, and execution discipline. The transaction underwent exhaustive due diligence processes across multiple legal jurisdictions, including U.S. and Chilean law. This level of scrutiny validated the strength of Scala’s governance model and operational standards, while also highlighting the company’s maturity as a high-performing infrastructure platform. It stands as a clear endorsement of Scala’s creditworthiness, long-term vision, and solid business fundamentals.
This project includes the expansion of Scala’s footprint across Curauma (already operational), Lampa, and Huechuraba 2, alongside the construction of the Nova Lampa substation – critical to ensuring reliable renewable energy delivery. With 23 megawatts of contracted IT capacity and additional 30 MW already contractually reserved for significant expansion under pre-established hyperscaler agreements, the deal provides strategic flexibility and financial scalability. It also sets a strong precedent for replicable growth in other Latin American markets.
“This transaction marks a strategic evolution in how we fund and scale digital infrastructure in the region. It’s more than a financing deal, it’s a signal to the market that Scala delivers excellence with transparency, and sustainability,” said Clayton Malheiros, CFO of Scala Data Centers. “We’ve successfully built a robust, green structure capable of supporting long-term growth, while maintaining cost efficiency and high operational standards.”
“MUFG is proud to have acted as both advisor and lender in this landmark transaction. Scala’s commitment to sustainability and disciplined execution made this project financing an ideal case of long-term value creation in the digital infrastructure space. We believe this deal sets a precedent for responsible growth in Latin America and beyond,” said Tatiana Preta, Head of Project Finance Latin America, MUFG.
This achievement has already drawn international recognition. Recently, the project was awarded “Digital Infrastructure Deal of the Year – Latin America” by IJGlobal at its annual awards ceremony in New York, underscoring the deal’s complexity, innovation, and impact.
In line with Scala’s ESG commitments, the new sites in Chile will operate with 100% certified renewable energy, zero-waste water, and best-in-class energy efficiency metrics, with design PUEs below 1.45. The project also complies with local RCA requirements, including local hiring mandates and community engagement programs, contributing to economic development across the regions where Scala operates.
The construction phase is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs, and the new infrastructure will play a critical role in elevating Chile’s position as a strategic digital gateway between Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region, particularly as global demand for artificial intelligence and cloud services accelerates.
As part of its long-term financial strategy to support the demands of a capital-intensive industry, Scala continues to diversify its funding sources through innovative instruments. In addition to the Chilean project finance transaction, the company executed two successful sale-leaseback (SLB) operations with Alianza in 2024, unlocking over USD 70 million for sites in Brazil in 2025, Scala secured a BRL 180 million loan from BNDES (Brazil’s National Development Bank) to support the acquisition and installation of critical infrastructure components, marking the first financing granted by BNDES specifically within the data center sector. Moreover, Scala has become a regional reference in sustainable financing, issuing more than USD 803 million in green debentures in Brazil, one of the largest cumulative volumes of ESG-linked bonds in the Latin American data center sector. These were distributed across three issuances, the most recent of which took place in September 2024.
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SOURCE Scala Data Centers