Global technology firm Google plans to build an off-river storage reservoir and water treatment plant that can deliver 65 million liters of potable water daily for both its upcoming data center campus in Springhill Industrial Park, Port Dickson, and for the public use. To be built at a cost of US$160 million, the shared infrastructure will be owned by Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan (Incorporated), or MBINS, a state statutory body that manages state assets, once completed.
Google has in coordination with the state government of Negeri Sembilan and Syarikat Air Negeri Sembilan Sdn Bhd (SAINS), appointed local infrastructure giant Gamuda Berhad as contractor, according to a statement by Google today.
Located along the Linggi River, the reservoir is designed to capture excess river flow and rainfall which is then channeled to the treatment plant to be purified for domestic and commercial use.
In terms of power consumption, Google will pay 100 per cent of the power its data center campus uses and the direct infrastructure costs required to connect it to the grid, a multi-decade commitment that spans the construction phase and operational lifecycle of its campus.
Dato’ Haji Najmuddin Sharif bin Sarimon, Chief Executive Officer, Invest Negeri Sembilan, said: “Google’s planned data center campus demonstrates how private investment and public interests can be aligned from the outset to deliver sustainable, long-term benefits for the state and its people.”
Drew Byrnes, Director and Head of Global Infrastructure and Energy, Asia Pacific, Google, said: “Google’s decision to fund shared water infrastructure in Negeri Sembilan reflects our global ambition to replenish 120 per cent of the freshwater volume we consume, even as our water risk assessment showed that local water sources were not at high risk of scarcity or depletion. This underscores our responsibility to grow our presence sustainably—pairing advanced digital infrastructure development with water replenishment projects, power infrastructure enhancements, and programs designed to upskill local talent for new career opportunities.”
“Building on our delivery of Google’s soon-to-be-operational data center campus in Elmina Business Park, we’re proud to deepen and extend our partnership into Negeri Sembilan. The ability to simultaneously develop both the upcoming off-river storage reservoir and water treatment plant along the Linggi River and the Google data center campus in Springhill Industrial Park reflects our integrated, top-to-toe model,” said Justin Chin, Managing Director, Gamuda Engineering.
“As Malaysia’s homegrown regional clean energy leader, Solarvest is proud to support Google’s renewable energy strategy through a corporate green power agreement. Our 29.99-megawatt alternating current (MWac) Corporate Green Power Programme (CGPP) solar farm, developed in partnership with Shizen Energy and HSS Engineering, is located in Gurun, Kedah, where favorable solar irradiance supports efficient power generation. This project will contribute additional renewable energy to Malaysia while supporting Google’s data center operations,” said Dato’ Davis Chong, Executive Director and Group Chief Executive Officer, Solarvest Holdings Berhad.