KUALA LUMPUR (July 30): Sydney-based Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) hyperscale data centre specialist AirTrunk has commenced operations in Malaysia, at its 150 megawatt (MW) hyperscale data centre in Johor Bahru named AirTrunk JHB1 (JHB1).

In a statement on Tuesday, the company said that with its industry-low design power usage effectiveness of 1.15, this makes it one of the most efficient data centres in the country.

The new state-of-the-art facility features an artificial intelligence (AI)-ready design with AirTrunk’s first deployment of direct-to-chip liquid cooling technology alongside traditional indirect evaporative cooling and high-density racks.

AirTrunk said the initial phases of JHB1 will provide over 50 megawatts (MW) of capacity for its large technology customers. The development was completed in over four million work hours with no major safety incidents, reinforcing AirTrunk’s company-wide commitment to upholding the highest levels of safety at its construction sites.

Spanning over 10.3 hectares, JHB1 is strategically located in Johor Bahru at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Servicing a major cloud availability zone, the data centre offers strong domestic and international connection to regional technology hubs, including neighbouring Singapore, with an end-to-end cross-border connection strategy.

AirTrunk founder and chief executive officer Robin Khuda said the rapid and safe delivery of JHB1 is a pivotal step in the adoption of AI in Malaysia and AirTrunk’s growth as a trusted partner for its customers in the APJ region.

“With a commitment to innovation and sustainable growth, combined with a programme of investment in energy availability and renewable electricity, Malaysia is fast becoming a key tech hub in the Asia Pacific and Japan region. Through our long-term investment in Malaysia, we are able to support our customers as they grow at speed and implement groundbreaking solutions like liquid cooling, at scale, in order to catalyse sustainable cloud and AI development.”

AirTrunk’s head of Malaysia Pei Jet Lim said, "AirTrunk is making a positive contribution to the local economy through supporting and developing local talent and delivering critical digital infrastructure."

"The new data centre supports the rapid growth of cloud and AI in Malaysia and aligns with the Madani government’s initiative to establish AI hubs in the country. We are making a long-term commitment to further engage with the local community to build a full AI ecosystem in Malaysia. The long-term and predictable demand from JHB1 also provides the stability to underpin investment in the energy grid and initiate multiple green energy developments," she added.

With a focus on accelerating the energy transition and supporting energy reliability, AirTrunk worked with Malaysian utility company Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) (KL:TENAGA) to connect JHB1.  

This follows a memorandum of understanding with TNB signed in 2023 that will see the two companies advance the energy transition in the region.  

Earlier this year, AirTrunk also announced the first renewable energy virtual power purchase agreement for a data centre for 30MW of renewable energy, under Malaysia’s Corporate Green Power Programme.