Microsoft & G42's Olkaria Geothermal Data Center (Kenya)
Naivasha, Eastern Africa, Kenya
In May 2024, Microsoft and UAE-based G42 announced a joint $1 billion initiative to build a geothermal-powered data center campus in Olkaria, Kenya. Tapping into the country’s rich volcanic heat resources, the facility will run entirely on renewable geothermal energy supplied by Kenya’s Olkaria steam fields. The first phase is expected to be operational by 2026 with an initial 100 MW capacity, with infrastructure planned to scale toward 1 GW as demand grows. The partners are designing the hyperscale site for AI-heavy workloads, pairing geothermal energy with advanced water conservation technologies that dramatically reduce fresh-water consumption while recycling wastewater for cooling. The project—part of a broader digital investment in Kenya’s tech ecosystem—will launch a new Azure cloud region to deliver AI and cloud services locally, supporting regional AI development while anchoring Kenya as a green infrastructure hub.
Sources
- ↗ https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/microsoft-and-g42-to-build-geothermal-powered-data-center-in-kenya/
- ↗ https://news.microsoft.com/en-xm/2024/05/15/microsoft-and-g42-announce-1-billion-comprehensive-digital-transformation-initiative-for-the-republic-of-kenya/
- ↗ https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2024/05/15/microsoft-and-g42-announce-1-billion-comprehensive-digital-transformation-initiative-for-the-republic-of-kenya/