Omnia: Patria’s bid to Launch a US$1bn Data Centre Platform
Patria last week announced the launch of a hyperscale data centre platform.
Known as Omnia, the investment firm will invest about US$1bn in its first project in the next 18 to 24 months, which is very timely for the digital transformation that is currently ongoing across Latin America (LATAM).
Designed to serve hyperscalers, Omnia will develop, build and operate large-scale purpose-built data centres across LATAM. Led by Patria CEO Rodrigo Abreu, the company says it will be focusing on 100MW+ developments that are able to host high-density workloads via liquid cooling.
Rodrigo Abreu explains, as reported on Datacenter Dynamics: “The launch of Omnia marks an important moment for Patria.
"We believe Latin America is perfectly positioned to support the growth of the global AI data centre infrastructure, with its vast potential of renewable energy at competitive cost, developed fibre connectivity, geopolitical neutrality and friendly regulatory environment for the development of new data centre projects, allowing hyperscalers to rapidly expand their offerings while maintaining their ambitious environmental commitments.”
Scaling data centres across LATAM
This move by Patria marks its return to the data centre sector, particularly after selling OData to Aligned Data Centers in 2023 for nearly US$2bn.
Now, Omnia will focus on hyperscale data centres that are designed to handle large workloads that are typically required by major technology companies. Expanding across the LATAM region, particularly in Brazil, is timely given the fact that the region is fast-emerging as a hub for data centre investors.
Not only does the region have access to renewable energy and is a less saturated market than the US and Europe, but there is also the possibility of tax incentives for operators that seek to invest there.
In the past, LATAM was an underserved market within the data centre industry. As demand continues to grow across the region, more technology companies have become eager to strategically invest in countries across the region, including in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Columbia.
Currently, the data centre market in LATAM was estimated to be around US$5.14bn in 2024 and is expected to grow to US$7.81bn by 2029. The South American market in particular is expected to reach 1.81 thousand megawatts by 2029.
AI and big data continue to play a critical role in public consciousness as the data centre market in LATAM transitions. Already, data centres in the area are being pushed by the high demand for data, with LATAM able to offer advantages such as a business-friendly environment to encourage growth.
In 2023, Brazil was leading data centre investments in LATAM and accounted for around 40% of the region’s total investment.
For Patria, construction of the first Omnia facility will begin in the second half of 2025, according to Valor, with operations expected to commence by the end of 2027. Full details of the first project have not yet been disclosed, but Rodrigo is optimistic about the company’s role in the LATAM data centre market.
“For training AI models, we don’t need data centres located near end-users,” he says. “The regulatory conditions and geopolitical neutrality of this region make it suitable for attracting investments from the US, Asia, or Europe.
“We expect Latin America to receive significant investments in this new category of data centres.”
Sustainable data centres for the future
Patria has also explained that the sites will be powered by 100% renewable energy. This means that the projects will operate with reduced water usage and minimal environmental impact, utilising the region’s access to this type of energy.
The company has said it plans to source power from a new wind project that is being specifically developed for Omnia’s data centres, rather than relying solely on the existing grid.
With global demand for data centres continuing to surge, more than doubling by 2030, capacity in LATAM is expected to boom. This will inevitably require new funding and extra consideration of sustainability to account for expanding AI workloads.
CEO of Elea Data Centers Alessandro Lombardi told Data Centre Magazine in January 2025: “In Brazil, we have the chance to run data centres in a better way that is more sustainable and humanised.
“We see it to be an amicable kind of infrastructure.”
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