A Sustainable Future: Inside Google’s $2bn Innovative Data Centre in Malaysia

The upcoming data centre in Malaysia, established by Google, is set to serve as a prime example of energy and water efficiency, aligning closely with the circular economy objectives of the country. Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, has unveiled plans for the government to introduce guidelines aimed at improving the effectiveness of power and water usage. These measures are intended to reduce the environmental impact of data centres while simultaneously enhancing operational efficiency.

While speaking at the Mantap Malaysia Bersama Ai, Tengku Zafrul emphasised the high energy demands of data centres. He highlighted that Malaysia’s Green Investment Strategy (GIS) is focused on ensuring that all new digital infrastructure developments including data centres contribute to the nation’s ambition of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

In addition to his announcement regarding the upcoming Corporate Renewable Energy Support Scheme, which aims to provide companies with direct access to clean energy through third-party providers, further promoting the use of renewable energy and aiding in the decarbonisation of Malaysia’s digital infrastructure, the Prime Minister also discussed Malaysia’s approval of $29.7 billion in data centre investments since 2021. This move has positioned the country as a key regional data centre hub and is anticipated to create over 64,000 high-value jobs.

The facility will meet the growing demand for Google’s cloud services and AI technologies in Malaysia. Google’s investment is projected to contribute more than $3.2bn to the economy and generate 26,500 jobs by 2030.