Alibaba's NETDA data center to become company's largest worldwide

Alibaba Jiangsu Cloud Computing Data Center Jianghai Park in Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area is set to become Alibaba's largest data center cluster worldwide by the end of 2026.

An aerial view of Alibaba Jiangsu Cloud Computing Data Center Jianghai Park. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_78ba52d6e1ed]

The project has received cumulative investment of 33 billion yuan ($4.92 billion). The park comprises 11 standardized data center buildings and has a supporting power load of 300,000 kilowatts. It handles more than 50 percent of Alibaba's core business in East China.

NETDA aims to exceed 60,000 petaflops in computing power by 2030. The park's first phase began operations in 2019 with 500 petaflops. In 2020, Alibaba launched the second phase, which was built with Alibaba's own modular design, factory-made parts and on-site assembly to speed construction.

Li Yin, regional general manager of strategic development at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group, said Nantong's location at the northern gateway to Shanghai and its network conditions make the city ideal for developing the computing industry.