Data centres will eat up 31% of Malaysia's electricity by 2035

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Malaysia's data centre electricity consumption is expected to increase to 31% by 2035 from just 7% today. This is driven by the rapid growth of the artificial intelligence (AI) and data centre industries. In total, data centres will consume 73,274 GWh in Malaysia in just 9 years. To meet this high energy demand, the operating hours of existing thermal power plants will be extended as a short-term solution.

 

Data centres can purchase renewable energy through a third-party access system

For your information, gas-based generation capacity will also be increased. The Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) said that through the Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme (CRESS), data centres have the option to purchase renewable energy directly from private developers through a third-party access system.

In addition, the government is also developing Large Scale Solar (LSS) projects under the LSS5 and LSS5+ programmes, which aim to add a total of 4 GW of renewable energy capacity to the Peninsular Malaysia electricity supply system. At the same time, the government is also encouraging data centres to generate their own electricity based on need.

Moreover, data centres use a lot of electricity and water. The consumption of more than a quarter of the country's energy in less than a decade is worrying. It can be seen in foreign countries that the explosion in data centre construction has caused water supplies to be disrupted for residents near data centres, and electricity tariffs have skyrocketed, making them burdensome.

 

Data centres could be a community issue

Personally, we are concerned about whether the government will allow data centres to generate their own electricity using generators. After all, these generators with turbines produce noise all the time they are operating, causing noise pollution. Hopefully, the government could ensure these issues are solved before the data centres are built. What are your thoughts on the news? Feel free to leave your comments below. Stay tuned for more news like this at TechNave.com