TikTok to Launch US$37 Billion Renewable-Powered Data Centre in Brazil

ByteDance’s TikTok plans to commit more than 200 billion reais (US$37.7 billion) to establish a data centre in Brazil, representing its first major infrastructure initiative in Latin America. According to Monica Guise, TikTok Brazil’s head of public policy, the company will collaborate with data-centre developer Omnia and the renewable-energy firm Casa dos Ventos on a facility to be built in the state of Ceará. Located near the industrial port of Pecém, the centre will operate entirely on wind-generated electricity. The approved 300-megawatt installation may be expanded to as much as 900 MW in a subsequent phase. Construction is expected to begin within six months, with total infrastructure spending for the initial stage estimated at around 50 billion reais (approximately US$9–10 billion). The venture aligns with Brazil’s newly introduced tax-exemption incentives for data-centre projects powered by renewable energy.

The development is projected to create roughly 4,000 direct and indirect jobs. Its placement within the Pecém port complex near Fortaleza is considered advantageous, as Ceará serves as the primary landing point for Brazil’s international submarine internet cables. The initiative also forms part of Brazil’s broader effort to navigate its relations with both China and the United States. On the same day the project was announced, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva inaugurated General Motors’ new electric-vehicle production line, while vehicles from the Chinese automaker BYD continue to expand their presence in the domestic market.