Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX) will open the company’s second Bulgarian International Business Exchange (IBX) data centre in Q1 2019. The USD 19 million data centre in the capital Sofia, branded SO2, will further help Bulgarian companies to interconnect globally.

The new data centre is the second facility the firm will have in the country’s capital once the first phase of the quick build-out is completed next year.

“Bulgaria is a strategic location within the Balkans with access to the EU, Turkey and the Caucasus,” said Equinix. SO2 will meet customer demand by providing around 350 cabinets in the first phase of the build-out, with the opportunity to add 1,100 cabinets in subsequent phases.

The first data centre in Sofia is already home to over 100 companies, including cloud service providers, network service providers, enterprises and content and digital media companies.

SO2 will help organisations expand into Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and will enjoy direct connectivity to the Bulgarian Internet Exchange (BIX). SO2 will use 100% green energy, like SO1 has leveraged since 2016.