The Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra) will place emphasis on sustainability for the data centre industry in Malaysia.
In an interview with local media, Deputy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir mentioned the importance of sustainability under the Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) which was launched last year.
He further added that data centre industry investors should meet the demands and responsibilities of the sustainable development goals (SDG). To further support the industry in adopting sustainable methods, Petra has also increased efforts to accelerate the use of renewable energy in the country.
The Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme (CRESS) organised by Petra will start this September to increase corporate companies’ access to green electricity supply. Under CRESS, the open grid access concept will provide a platform for third parties to supply (sell) or get (buy) electricity with a set system access charge. Additionally, the Ministry of Trade and Investment Department (MITI) is set to announce energy and water efficient standards for data centres operating in Malaysia next month.
According to the 2024 global data centre index published by DC Byte, Johor is the fastest growing data centre market within South-east Asia with over 1.6GW of total supply. Data centres require significant amounts of water and power to sustain their operations, yet resource allocation remains a challenge in Malaysia, particularly in regions like Johor, where data centres are concentrated.
With the increasing demand for data centres in Malaysia, it is no doubt that the emphasis placed on sustainability in data centres by the government is becoming more critical, driving initiatives for energy efficiency, renewable energy integration, and environmentally friendly practices to ensure the industry’s growth aligns with the nation’s green goals.
