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BETTESWORTHConstruction
Canadian government construction

Canadian government plans a 60 MW Ottawa-area data centre for secure federal operations

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Canada is planning, subject to approval, a secure 60 MW data centre in the National Capital Region for federal operations, security and technology modernization. Defence Construction Canada’s advance procurement notice estimates a potential modified design-build contract at approximately C$1.5 billion to C$1.85 billion and anticipates a solicitation in winter 2027. The notice is not an awarded contract, a construction authorization or proof that an operating facility is being built.

What the Ottawa data-centre proposal is

Defence Construction Canada’s procurement record identifies project WA257004, contract 88262, under the title “Data Center NCR.” It describes a proposed 60 MW facility somewhere in the National Capital Region, with mechanical and electrical systems tailored to different technology requirements. The concept also includes a small office and shipping-and-receiving area.

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The notice says the Government of Canada is planning the facility “to increase its capacity in supporting the mid to long-term objectives related to operations, security, and technology modernization.” A second description says the 60 MW centre will support “next-generation capabilities” through tailored mechanical and electrical configurations.

Because the record is an advance procurement notice, it is designed to alert potential design-build teams before a later competition. It does not select a contractor or commit the government to construction.

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Is this a CSE facility?

Contemporaneous reporting identifies the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), Canada’s cyber and signals-intelligence agency, as the intended federal user. That points to sovereign infrastructure for protected government workloads rather than a commercial colocation campus or a public-cloud expansion open to ordinary customers.

The public material does not describe the final server platforms, network architecture, security zones or resilience standard. CSE’s reported role should therefore be read as the intended mission and user, not as confirmation that CSE has received an approved, completed facility.

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Capacity and early cost estimate

Item Publicly stated information Qualification
Planned electrical capacity 60 MW Capacity in the 2026 Defence Construction Canada advance notice
Potential delivery model Modified design-build Described as a future procurement, not an award
Approximate estimate C$1.5 billion–C$1.85 billion Early planning estimate; not a final budget or contract price
Expected solicitation timing Winter 2027 Anticipated only if approval to proceed is obtained

A 60 MW load is a major infrastructure commitment, requiring substantial utility capacity, high-voltage distribution, cooling, backup power, controls, fire protection and physical security. The C$1.5 billion–C$1.85 billion range should not be converted into a firm project value: design development, approvals, site conditions, escalation and scope changes can all alter the final amount.

Has the project been approved?

Not on the evidence currently public. The advance notice expressly makes the project conditional on approval to proceed. No awarded contract, construction start, approved operating budget or completion date has been announced in the material available for this project.

When could contractors bid?

Defence Construction Canada anticipates posting a modified design-build solicitation in winter 2027. That is a target window, not a guaranteed tender date. A future solicitation would establish the definitive scope, mandatory qualifications, security requirements, evaluation method, schedule, bonding and insurance terms.

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Until that solicitation appears, contractors should treat the notice as an early market signal. Firms considering the opportunity would need to monitor Defence Construction Canada’s official procurement postings and be prepared for federal contracting, security-clearance and design-assurance requirements.

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What remains undisclosed

  • The exact site within the National Capital Region.
  • The electrical-utility connection strategy and any transmission or substation work.
  • The final approved budget and funding authority.
  • Server, storage and network architecture.
  • Availability, redundancy and maintenance targets.
  • Physical-security design, classified-space requirements and cyber-operations details.
  • Construction start, commissioning and completion dates.

These details normally emerge through later procurement documents, environmental or planning approvals, awarded-contract notices and project disclosures. Their absence means capacity and purpose can be discussed, but detailed engineering, schedule and site claims would be speculative.

How it fits federal data-centre infrastructure

Shared Services Canada operates federal data centres that host applications and data, telecommunications networks, processing systems, centralized storage and related equipment. Its listed enterprise facilities are in Barrie, Borden, Gatineau and Montréal.

The proposed 60 MW Ottawa-area project is separate from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s sovereign-AI data-centre intake, which sought projects with total planned capacities above 100 MW. The different programs have different stated capacities and should not be treated as one development.

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What the announcement means for the construction market

If approved and tendered, the project could create a large, security-sensitive design-build opportunity spanning civil works, structural construction, high-voltage electrical systems, mechanical and liquid or air-cooling infrastructure, controls, commissioning and secure logistics. The scale also implies extensive coordination with utilities, authorities having jurisdiction and federal security stakeholders.

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However, no company has been named as contractor, no award has been made and no eligibility list is public in the advance notice. Any firm assessing the opportunity should rely on the eventual official solicitation rather than treating the preliminary estimate as guaranteed work.

Bottom line

Canada has disclosed a conditional plan for a 60 MW secure data centre in the National Capital Region, reportedly intended for CSE’s federal mission. The early modified design-build estimate is C$1.5 billion to C$1.85 billion, with a possible solicitation in winter 2027. It is still a proposed procurement: the site, final budget, technical design, construction schedule and approval decision remain unsettled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Ottawa project a public cloud data centre?

No. Public descriptions frame it as sovereign federal infrastructure for secure operations, security and technology modernization, with CSE identified in reporting as the intended user.

Does 60 MW mean the centre is already operating?

No. Sixty megawatts is the planned capacity stated in an advance procurement notice. The facility has not been publicly confirmed as built or operating.

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Is C$1.85 billion the final project price?

No. C$1.5 billion to C$1.85 billion is an approximate early estimate for a potential modified design-build contract and may change before any award.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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