The third phase of the China Mobile Harbin Data Center started construction in the Pingfang district of Harbin city -- capital of China's northernmost Heilongjiang province -- on Sept 20.
 
Once complete, the facility will be a central node for China Mobile's computing power network in Northeast China.
 
Its site covers a total area of 1,294 mu (86.27 hectares), with the complex having a planned total floor space of about 596,000 square meters when fully completed.
 
It is designed to accommodate up to 54,000 racks and it will cost an estimated 12 billion yuan ($1.8 billion).
 
Since the start of construction in 2013, the center has completed the first phase and the second phase of the project.
 
The third phase plans to build B04, B05, B06 computer room buildings and support refrigeration stations, with a total floor space of about 70,900 sq m and a total investment of about 1.7 billion yuan.
 
At the grounding breaking ceremony for the center, the Pingfang district and the Harbin Economic Development Zone also signed off on new projects worth 12.26 billion yuan.
 
These projects involve high-end equipment manufacturing, an energy storage power station, new energy equipment manufacturing, medical health, a biological laboratory and an intelligent medical care system.