Benzinga | Jul 23, 2020 08:15AM EDT

GDS Announces Joint Venture With CPE Fund For Major New Data Center Project In Beijing

SHANGHAI, China, July 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GDS Holdings Limited ("GDS Holdings", "GDS" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:GDS), a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with a private equity fund ("CPE Fund") controlled by CITIC Private Equity Funds Management Co., Limited, a leading alternative asset manager in China, to form a joint venture ("JV") to undertake a major new data center project in Beijing ("BJ13"). GDS will initially own a 58% controlling interest in the JV, while CPE Fund will own 42%. CPE Fund and its affiliates have a successful track record of data center investment. CPE Fund secured this opportunity and subsequently introduced GDS as its development partner.

As a first step, the JV has taken an 82% equity interest in Tenglong IOT (Beijing) Data Technology Co., Ltd ("Project Company") through the acquisition of shares and injection of new capital. The Project Company has obtained Government approval for the development of a largescale data center at a site in the Tongzhou district of Beijing. The proceeds of the capital injection have been used by the Project Company to take an 88% equity interest in a company which owns the land use right for the site. The JV will proceed to acquire the remaining 18% of the Project Company when the data center development is complete and certain other conditions are met. The Project Company will buy out the remaining 12% equity interest in the land company when certain conditions are met.

Based on preliminary designs, BJ13 will generate a total net floor area of approximately 21,000 sqm, with an unusually high power density of over 3 kW per sqm. It will be developed in two phases, with about 10,500 sqm expected to enter service in early 2022 and the remaining 10,500 sqm in mid-2023. GDS will assume responsibility for data center construction on a turnkey basis. On completion of the project and satisfaction of certain other conditions, GDS will acquire CPE Fund's 42% equity interest in the JV. The estimated total acquisition and development cost to GDS for 100% ownership of BJ13 as a complete data center is approximately RMB 2.6 billion, subject to adjustment based on the final design, the actual construction cost, and the amount of contingent and variable consideration payable for the minority interests in the JV and its subsidiaries.

The acquisition of a largescale greenfield project in Beijing with owned land is a rare opportunity amplified by the market's high demand, tight land supply and strict regulatory approval criteria. Tongzhou district, the new seat of the Beijing municipal government, has great potential to become a data center hub. BJ13 is located approximately 27 kilometers from our existing data center cluster of BJ1, BJ2, BJ3, and BJ9 in Yizhuang district. We expect BJ13 to be highly marketable and have already received strong interest from an existing hyperscale customer in taking all of the capacity.

"We are delighted to partner with CPE Fund in this rare opportunity to expand our presence with an unusually largescale project in Beijing," said Mr. William Huang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "In the past few years, we have successfully generated a lot of new capacity, both organically and through acquisition, in Tier 1 markets where supply is scarce. In particular, we have substantially grown our market share in Beijing, the largest Tier 1 market in China. CPE Fund is a highly respected investor with extensive experience in the data center sector. Our partnership is an innovative way of combining strengths to develop valuable new capacity. GDS will continue to focus on developments in key strategic locations and further strengthen our market leading position."