Björn Schmidtke: 'We want to consolidate Paraguay as a destination for investing in clean-energy technology'

Asunción, Paraguay — May 6, 2024. In an interview with Paraguayan business outlet InfoNegocios, Penguin founder and CEO Björn Schmidtke laid out the company’s vision for positioning Paraguay as a hub for clean-energy technology investment. He also shared plans to grow its Hernandarias substation from 160 MW to 600 MW.

The quotes below are translated from the original Spanish-language interview, conducted by Belén Rojas.

Three divisions, one purpose

Penguin Group operates through three divisions: Penguin Infra, dedicated to high-performance computing (HPC) and clean-energy data centers; Penguin Academy, which treats programming and coding as a school of thought, training, and empowerment; and Penguin Lab, focused on software development.

The common thread, Schmidtke explained, is a single mission:

“Penguin Group’s main objective is to transform energy into human potential, integrating our companies and partners to harness the electricity from our own substation in Hernandarias, which has a capacity of 160 MW, and power our data center, sustaining our technology operations and services.”

Turning energy into human potential

That mission is as much about people as it is about megawatts. Beyond efficient energy generation, Schmidtke pointed to the development of local talent through Penguin Academy, which graduated more than 400 students from coding bootcamps in 2023.

“We seek to be a transforming agent in society, using the country’s human resources and energy capacity. These efforts reinforce the company’s social and economic impact, consolidating us as leaders in innovation and technological development in Paraguay.”

Asked about the biggest challenge of leading the company, Schmidtke pointed not to infrastructure but to people:

“Leading Penguin Group is a significant challenge in managing a diverse, multicultural team. Building a strong organizational culture is a priority, drawing on that diversity to drive growth and innovation.”

What Penguin offers

Penguin’s edge starts with its location. Sitting near the Itaipú hydroelectric dam, the company can guarantee a clean, renewable energy source, and its own electrical substation ensures the constant, secure power distribution that data processing and AI workloads demand.

On top of that, Penguin provides cloud computing services built for flexibility and scalability, backed by a technical team available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its client base already includes global industry leaders such as Marathon Digital Holdings and Northern Data.

Scaling to 600 MW, plus a matching solar project

To meet growing global demand, Penguin is planning a major expansion:

“We project increasing our substation’s capacity to 600 MW, with a photovoltaic project of equal scale. This initiative seeks not only to meet rising global demand, but also to strengthen Paraguay’s energy matrix and consolidate the country’s presence as an attractive destination for investment in clean-energy technology.”

The plan pairs the substation build-out with a solar project of the same size, a move that would diversify beyond hydro and reinforce the national grid.

---

About Penguin

Penguin develops and operates industrial-scale digital infrastructure in Paraguay, transforming the country’s abundant renewable energy into human potential. Penguin’s flagship site near the Itaipú Dam is powered entirely by 100% renewable hydroelectric energy.

This article is based on an interview originally published by InfoNegocios on May 6, 2024.