- Malaysia’s capacity to spur creativity and the change of power
- First implementation of direct-to-chip water cooling systems in AirTrunk’s profile
Australian-based Asia Pacific hyperscale data centre specialist AirTrunk has joined Johor’s growing cluster of data centres by launching its flagship 150 megawatt ( MW) facility. The data centre, dubbed AirTrunk JHB1 ( JHB1 ), commenced operations on July 30,  , just 18 months after the company’s initial announcement. In a statement, AirTrunk said the , fast rollout underscores its dedication to meet Southeast Asia ‘s , desire for hyperscale data center power. The release of JHB1 , adds to Johor’s burgeoning popularity as a local data center hub.  ,
JHB1 is AirTrunk’s ninth data centre in the APJ ( AsiaPacific &, Japan )  , region and its first in Malaysia,  , reflecting , its , aggressive expansion strategy, backed by majority owner Macquarie Asset Management. The initial phases of JHB1 will provide its big technology customers with more than 50MW of capacity, with the potential to expand to 150MW to meet growing demand.  ,
The 10.3 hectare hospital in Johor Bahru will provide domestic and international connections to local tech hubs, including Singapore, which is close by. It will also serve a significant fog supply zone. Robin Khuda, founder and CEO of AirTrunk,  , said,” The rapid , supply of JHB1 is a key step in the implementation of AI in Malaysia and AirTrunk’s development as a trusted spouse for our clients in the APJ place”.
The information center has a number of features designed to maximize energy efficiency and sustainability:
- It has an industry-low design Power Usage Effectiveness ( PUE) of 1.15, making it one of the most efficient data centres in Malaysia. ( A , PUE of 1.15 means that for every 1.15 watts of power used, 1 watt goes directly to running the computers. This is much better than most data centres, making it one of the greenest in Malaysia. )
- AirTrunk’s first deployment of direct-to-chip liquid cooling technology, alongside traditional indirect evaporative cooling ( IEC ) and high-density racks, reduced energy consumption by up to 23 %.
- One of Southeast Asia’s largest solar-ready roofs that can add over 1MW of solar power for this phase, which is likely the largest solar-powered on-site deployment ever.
” JHB1 will be the most lasting data centre in Malaysia”, Damien Spillane, AirTrunk’s Chief Technology Officer, boldly says. Highlighting the agency’s conservation credentials, Spillane added,” In line with our Net Zero by 2030 goal, we are working with our customers to supply clean energy to meet electricity consumption at the data centre”.
Additionally, the business has taken steps to improve the region’s power consistency. In order to connect JHB1 and improve the energy transition in the region, AirTrunk and Malaysian power company Tenaga Nasional Berhad ( TNB) partnered in a 2023 MOU.
Additionally, AirTrunk just made the initial clean energy Virtual Power Purchase Agreement for a data center in Malaysia, which secured 30MW of solar energy from designer bi cox as part of the country’s Business Green Power Programme.
Pei Jet Lim, AirTrunk’s Head of Malaysia, emphasised the company’s commitment to the local economy:” AirTrunk is making a positive contribution to the local economy through supporting and developing local talent and delivering critical digital infrastructure. The new data center supports Malaysia’s rapid growth in cloud and artificial intelligence ( AI ) and supports the government’s plan to establish AI hubs there.
The JHB1 facility is part of AirTrunk’s expanding Asia Pacific &, Japan data centre platform, which now comprises 11 data centres with a total capacity exceeding 1.4 gigawatts ( GW).
Malaysia is expected to play a significant role in fostering sustainable development of AI and cloud as the country continues to position itself as a major tech hub in the Asia Pacific &, Japan region.
