Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ), a Japanese Internet access and network-solutions providers, announced a decision to double the size of the Matsue Data Center Park, a data center campus built out using outside-air-cooled containers.

Construction will begin in April 2013, the company said. IIJ originally constructed the Matsue Data Center as a facility for the IIJ GIO cloud service, but the consistent increase in the number of clients using the service and forecasts for future cloud demand led IIJ to decide to expand the facility.

The newly constructed facilities are expected to be in operation in fall 2013. Current container capacity is 24 units, which will be increased to 48.

Power capacity will also be doubled. Each container is powered using a three-phase four-wire configuration, instead of the customary three-wire configuration, which reduces the number of transformers required for IT equipment power, reducing distribution losses.

In addition, relatively higher-density servers means lower capital costs and more efficient use of space. On the cooling front, IIJ is examining the possibility of using outside-air cooling year-round to reduce energy consumption.

The new housing space is intended to meet the demand for backup sites in western Japan as part of disaster recovery plans and business continuity planning.