Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) hyperscale data centre specialist firm, AirTrunk, has partnered with the global renewable energy developer, ib vogt, to sign Malaysia’s first data centre renewable energy Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA). This pioneering agreement falls under Malaysia's Corporate Green Power Programme (CGPP), an initiative introduced by the Suruhanjaya Tenaga (Energy Commission of Malaysia).

The CGPP is a critical national initiative that supports businesses to sign up for VPPAs and take an active role in renewable energy projects within Malaysia. Predetermined conditions dictate that the programme will distribute a total of 800 megawatts (MW) of solar energy generation capacity. Developers applying within the programme are allowed a maximum contribution capacity of 30MW, provided there guarantees an offtaker for the energy.

In its capacity as the offtaker, AirTrunk will be procuring renewable energy from the 29.99MW solar farm currently being developed by ib vogt. This procurement will be executed as part of the CGPP, with construction slated to start from the middle of 2024. Moreover, this contextually significant announcement bolsters AirTrunk's recent landmark renewable energy agreements in Australia and Hong Kong.

These new agreements include a long-standing PPA for the development of a new solar farm which will bolster renewable energy generation capacity in Australia's grid, the company states. Additionally, there is a unique renewable energy solution in place in Hong Kong that utilises data centre electricity consumption with local renewable energy certificates.

Damien Spillane, Chief Technology Officer of AirTrunk, stated, “Joining forces with ib vogt to lead Malaysia’s first data centre renewable energy VPPA demonstrates our dedication to pioneer sustainable action in the industry. As we continue to drive digitalisation in Malaysia through the development of our 150MW AirTrunk JHB1 data centre, this initiative marks yet another important step in our roadmap to achieve Net Zero and decarbonise APJ's electricity grid.”

David Ludwig, Chief Executive Officer of ib vogt APAC, added, “The decarbonisation of supply chains in Southeast Asia is just beginning, and it is great to see Malaysia and AirTrunk taking a prominent position in the transition towards clean energy. It is through powerful partnerships with industry leaders like AirTrunk that ib vogt continues to be in a leading role to support corporations in meeting their renewable energy goals.”

The important role of VPPAs and initiatives like CGPP are helping global corporations gradually achieve strategic sustainable energy targets and contribute towards a cleaner, greener future, according to the company.