Malaysia’s 1st platinum-certified green data centre to drive AI growth

 ZData’s first data centre outside China runs on 100% reclaimed water.

ZData Technologies’ first completed facility, Building 1, at its Gelang Patah data centre in Johor.

JOHOR BAHRU:

 An AI-capable hyperscale data centre in Gelang Patah, Johor, has become the country’s first data centre to receive the provisional GreenRE Platinum certification for water, energy and sustainability design.

Developed by ZData Technologies, the Tier 3+ equivalent data centre received the Platinum rating, the highest sustainability rating under the GreenRE scheme established by the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda).

“We are very proud to be the only data centre in the country with this accomplishment,” said Yeo Yong Hwang, director of Computility Technology Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of China-headquartered ZData.

Yeo added that ZData was committed to sustainable digital infrastructure, which resulted in the award of the Malaysia Green Data Centre Recycled Water Certification in August.

“One of the most distinctive sustainability features of ZData’s facility is its design to run on 100% reclaimed water, treated through two dedicated water treatment plants located in close proximity to the data centre,” he said at a press conference here.

While cooling operations inherently require water, using reclaimed sources ensures the state’s potable water supply will not be used for cooling, therefore minimising impact on local freshwater resources.

ZData’s data centre development forms part of a RM8 billion project on a 15.4ha site.

To date, approximately 7.3ha has been developed, covering Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project. The remaining phases of development are scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.

On Tuesday, ZData signed a memorandum of understanding with BGMC Energy Holdings Sdn Bhd and reNIKOLA Holdings Sdn Bhd for a large-scale, long-term green energy supply programme in which renewable energy is generated by solar farm assets for its data centre facility.

“This programme is projected to deliver approximately 630,000 MWh of renewable energy annually, and is scheduled to commence in 2028,” said Yeo.

Kota Iskandar assemblyman Pandak Ahmad welcomed ZData’s sustainability initiatives, saying they aligned with Johor’s ambition to be a hub for sustainable data centres.

“The development of data centres attracts a lot of FDI, but this must not be at the expense of the wellbeing of the local community. The state government has developed a framework and guidelines to ensure sustainable digital infrastructure,” he said.

To date, Pandak said, 51 out of 86 data centre applications had been approved by the government.

Ramli Paiman, head of the Residents Action Committee on Data Centre, applauded the green initiatives of ZData.

Kampung Pulai village chief Abdul Rahman Halim said responsible development of data centres would allow local communities to co-exist harmoniously with these high-tech facilities. - FMT