Editor’s Note: This project is extremely interesting because it combines data centers with greenhouses. As you may know, data centers produce huge amounts of heat. In the cold climate of Quebec, greenhouses could use some more heat. It will be interesting to watch this project develop, and see if this new model for using waste heat to help grow food year-round is viable!

Martin Bouchard, the founder of the Copernic search engine and the 4Degrés data centers, wants to eventually build at least three high-intensity data processing complexes including the recovery of thermal waste. The total estimated bill will be around 5 billion.

Is the plan complicated? To put this into words: artificial intelligence, innovation, circular economy, high capacity computing servers, clean energy, greenhouse production, food autonomy; stir calmly and you will obtain the successful project on which Mr. Bouchard and his associates Vincent Thibault and Dany Perron have been working for three years.

The Quebec government is receptive to this project, La Presse has learned. The role of the monopoly of electricity distribution is essential since such a data center dedicated to artificial intelligence consumes twice as much energy in a year when compared to a city the size of Drummondville.

Construction has started on the first campus located in Lévis. Completion is scheduled for November 2022. The daily Le Soleil described the main features recently. QScale is planning a second branch in the Ecoparc de Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, on the South Shore of Montreal, just behind the commuter train station.

“Saint-Bruno would be half the size of that of Lévis, our flagship. Ultimately, our vision is to be present in the main regions of Quebec.”

— MARTIN BOUCHARD

The unveiling of financial and strategic partners will be done soon. “We would like to make an announcement in the next few months, if not the next few weeks. We are going to announce our plan to become the world's top 3 in computing. We must have our food autonomy, but also our calculation autonomy, ”emphasizes Mr. Bouchard.

The serial entrepreneur, along with private investors, invested 30 million to start the project. The rest of the financial package will be revealed at the time of the official announcement. "We are working very hard to ensure that the ownership of the company remains entirely in Quebec. "

We are talking about big bucks: from 2 to 3 billion for the Lévis complex, 1 billion for the Saint-Bruno complex.

What is it about?

QScale aims to be a data processing campus with high computational density. Campuses seek to meet the needs of machine learning, the demand for which is growing with the arrival of artificial intelligence in enterprises. Consider the data calculations required to safely move autonomous vehicles forward. Mr. Bouchard cites Tesla, Volkswagen, Pfizer, and Goldman Sachs as potential customers.

“Compared to what you would find in a conventional data center, our fridge-sized server cabinets will have five times the processing capacity. It's going to heat up even more, ” notes the 48-year-old entrepreneur. Quebec has the advantage of having clean and cheap energy.

This type of infrastructure is only just beginning to emerge in the world.

“There is not yet a leader in high density processing. Americans like Colovore, in Santa Clara, and ScaleMatrix, in San Diego, are powered by fossil fuels, without heat recovery, and with high electricity costs. We will be at least 10 times bigger than them only with Lévis.”

— MARTIN BOUCHARD

The business plan provides for the recovery of heat released by servers to heat agricultural greenhouses.

"We want to contribute to the food self-sufficiency of the province with a potential of 400 hectares of greenhouses just for the first campus," he insists. However, all greenhouse vegetable production is currently grown on 123 hectares. "For this component, we are in discussion with several players," says Mr. Bouchard. Consultant for Savoura, André Michaud confides that he has never been contacted by QScale. He said he was puzzled when he learned about the outline of the project.

"We have a greenhouse robotization project using artificial intelligence to potentially automate physically demanding jobs," retorts Mr. Bouchard. In Lévis, we have adjacent farmland which is equivalent to the equivalent of 80 football fields, enough to produce 2,880 tonnes of raspberries and 83,200 tonnes of tomatoes. "

That's not all. Mr. Bouchard wants to add to these complexes an innovation zone specializing in artificial intelligence. “The AI Zone is the missing link between basic AI research and its application in manufacturing companies. "

IQ analyzes the file

The pharaonic project has appeared on the radar screen of the Legault government. "We heard about it," said an unnamed government source. It’s an interesting file that is being looked at.

It is at Investissement Québec (IQ) that the file is analyzed. The state's financial arm was on the list of organizations QScale wanted to solicit, after being listed in the Quebec Lobbyists Registry.

As for electricity, "we already have agreements with Hydro-Quebec. Everything is in order. They are very happy. I cannot disclose anything, it will be announced. It’s very large, ”says Mr. Bouchard.

It is the user-pays principle that applies when the promoter of a project wants to have access to the Hydro-Québec network. QScale's land is conveniently located near high-power substations.

For data centers, hydro rates typically start at 4.04 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) when the economic development rate applies. If applicable, the price is 5.05 ¢ / kWh.

CONTENT AND IMAGE SOURCED FROM LA PRESSE

Lead photo: QScale has started construction of the first high-intensity data processing complex in Lévis. Completion is scheduled for November 2022; Image sourced from QScale

June 3, 2021

WRITTEN BY:

ANDRÉ DUBUC, AND

JULIEN ARSENAULT