Google said today it will invest US$300 million in its new Hong Kong data center that is due online in early 2013 after a ground breaking ceremony (pictured).

Google is also planning to build data centers in Singapore and Taiwan. Simon Chang, head of Google’s APAC Hardware Operations, said the company will invest at least US$100 million in the new Taiwan data center.

Google’s new facility in Hong Kong will occupy 2.7 hectares of land located in the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, east of New Territories. Its neighboring data centers will include HSBC's (opened in 2008), NTT Com Asia's (an investment of US$385 million, due to open in Q1 2013), and the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing's (an investment of US$192 million, due online in Q4 2012).

Google’s US$300 million investment includes the cost of land, construction and technical equipment. Upon fully operational, Google will have 25 full time staff, plus part time and full time contractors serving the roles of computer technicians, electrical and mechanical engineers, and catering and security staff. 

At the ground breaking ceremony, Elizabeth Tse, permanent secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, HKSAR government, said she has given Google a personal guarantee that she will provide assistance to Google in ensuring smooth construction of the new data center. The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the Hong Kong government comprises several branches, including the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, which recently opened the Data Centre Facilitation Unit in July 2011.

Speaking about the technical challenges ahead, Google’s Chang said while the company benefits from free air cooling in high-latitude countries like Finland, or freely available sea water or river water for cooling in other countries, “Hong Kong is definitely not in the cold regions.” “[Nonetheless,] Google’s data center design team will explore other methods of free air cooling, as well as custom-design its server racks to achieve peak [energy] efficiency.”