Jorge Flies, the Regional Governor of Magallanes, has proposed the construction of a large-scale data center in the region, positioning it as a strategic location for technological infrastructure. To advance the initiative, Governor Flies met with Nicolás Schubert, Google Chile’s Manager of Public Policy and Government Affairs, to discuss the project.
This proposal is part of a broader vision to bring ambitious, large-scale projects to the southernmost region of Chile, which also includes plans for a NASA base and an International Antarctic Center.
The governor’s timing is notable, as it follows the halting of a controversial $200 million Google data center project in Cerrillos (Santiago) due to environmental concerns over its water usage. By contrast, the Magallanes proposal could leverage the region’s natural cold climate for “free cooling,” drastically reducing energy consumption and environmental impact, and could be powered by the area’s burgeoning green energy projects.
The article also mentioned that the governor’s agenda included meetings with various national ministries to discuss other key regional projects, such as infrastructure improvements in Puerto Williams and Antarctica, and addressing deficits in public education infrastructure.
