YTL unveils development of solar-powered data center campus

YTL Power (YTL) has announced the development of a 500MW data center campus in Johor, the first data center park in Malaysia to be powered by solar energy.

YTL Green Data Center Park will be situated 30km from Singapore in the Iskandar region of Johor and provide diversity in power and connectivity on a large industrial site.

Additionally, the site will have dark fibre connectivity to Singapore due to its close proximity to the country.

YTL explains that dark fibre will benefit businesses with operations in Singapore wanting to expand, complement, and optimise their data center processes through direct and ultra-low latency network connections to data centers in the country and other locations in Malaysia.

YTL will construct the project through its subsidiary, YTL Data Center (YTL DC), and 275 acres of the site will be dedicated to data center development.

YTL says this will offer significant opportunities for customers looking for green data centers to meet their needs.

The project will also see YTL utilise its existing expertise in building infrastructure, providing clients and partners with end-to-end solutions.

"With the development of the YTL Green Data Center Park, we are driving the expansion of our infrastructure platform to the digital age by combining our expertise in renewable energy, property development, telecommunications and data centers," YTL Power managing director Dato' Yeoh Seok Hong says.

"This project will be the flagship of our integrated data center vision to serve our customers in the wider Singapore region, and a catalyst for our regional expansion in this space.

YTL Power is an international multi-utility infrastructure group that develops greenfield projects and acquires operational assets through competitive auctions.

In addition, the company is listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad, the Malaysian stock exchange, and is active across key segments of the international utility industry.

YTL Power is also Malaysia's first independent power producer, and YTL PowerSeraya owns the electricity retailer Geneco, which has a total licensed capacity of 3,100 MW in Singapore.

Moreover, the company has a minority stake in PT Jawa Power, the owner of a 1,220 MW coal-fired power plant in Indonesia, and is involved in communications and internet-based solutions and services through YTL Communications Sdn Bhd.
Work has begun on the first 72MW data center, which is expected to be in service by Q1 2024.

Furthermore, YTL DC plans to build on the Group's expertise in renewable energy, telecommunications and construction to develop new data center campuses across Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam.