TOKYO: SoftBank Corp. plans to build a new data center in the city of Tomakomai in the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido, which will be one of the country’s largest such facilities, it was learned Thursday.

Estimating the construction cost at 40 billion to 60 billion yen, the major mobile carrier has applied to the industry ministry for subsidies to cover half the cost.

The company aims to start operating the new data center in fiscal 2026.

SoftBank currently operates data centers in 13 locations across the country, many of which are located in urban areas such as Tokyo and Osaka.

By opening a new data center in Hokkaido, the company hopes to address concerns about the concentration of electricity consumption amid the rapidly expanding use of generative artificial intelligence.

The Tomakomai facility is planned to have a power capacity of 300 megawatts and is expected to utilize renewable energy.

JIJI Press