This week in APAC data centres
- APAC data centre investment hit a record US$11.6bn in 2025, with Johor live capacity up 53% year on year (CBRE).
- NextDC switched on KL1, a US$716m site and the first Tier IV-certified data centre in Peninsular Malaysia (Data Center Dynamics).
- Bridge Data Centres and EcoCeres completed APAC’s first HVO backup-fuel pilot, cutting generator emissions by up to 90% (Data Center Dynamics).
- Singapore’s EMA opened a tender for hydrogen-ready gas turbines of at least 600MW each, partly to feed data centre demand (EMA).
- APAC data centre construction is forecast to reach US$83.88bn by 2031 at a 15.87% CAGR (Arizton).
Power, not land, decided where capacity landed across Asia Pacific this week. A record investment tally, a new clean backup-fuel pilot and a fresh Singapore generation tender all point to one operator question: can you secure the electricity, and can you prove it runs efficiently?
Why did APAC data centre investment hit a record US$11.6bn?
IT Brief Asia (CBRE)
CBRE’s 2026 outlook puts 2025 APAC data centre investment at a record US$11.6bn, with access to power now the main factor steering where operators build.
What this means for your operations: Sites win on secured power, not postcode. Johor grew live capacity 53% in a year against 6 to 8% in Singapore and Hong Kong. If your roadmap assumes easy grid headroom, rack-level power monitoring is what defends the headroom you already hold.
What does NextDC’s KL1 launch mean for the Johor-Singapore corridor?
Data Center Dynamics
NextDC switched on KL1, a US$716m, 65MW facility near Kuala Lumpur and the first Tier IV-certified data centre in Peninsular Malaysia.
What this means for your operations: Malaysia keeps absorbing the AI capacity Singapore cannot site. A Tier IV build raises the bar on uptime, which raises the bar on the remote hands you want to avoid. Out-of-band access and IP KVM let a Singapore team run a Malaysian hall without a drive to the rack.
Can HVO biofuel cut data centre backup emissions by 90%?
Data Center Dynamics
Bridge Data Centres and EcoCeres completed APAC’s first HVO-powered backup pilot, a waste-based diesel substitute that drops into existing generators and cuts emissions by up to 90%.
What this means for your operations: Backup power is now a reporting line, not just insurance. HVO needs no generator modification, so the harder part is proving the fuel transfer and load behaviour held up. PDU and DCIM telemetry across a generator start and load transfer turns a clean-fuel claim into an audit record.
How is Singapore planning to power its next wave of data centres?
Energy Market Authority
Singapore’s EMA opened a tender for up to three hydrogen-ready gas turbines of at least 600MW each, online from 2031 to 2032, citing data centre and semiconductor demand.
What this means for your operations: New generation is years out, so the grid you have is the grid you optimise. Every megawatt reclaimed through tighter rack-level metering is a megawatt you do not wait until 2031 for. PUE tracking and per-rack power data are the cheapest capacity you can find this year.
How big will the APAC data centre build-out get by 2031?
Arizton (PR Newswire)
Arizton forecasts APAC data centre construction investment reaching US$83.88bn by 2031 at a 15.87% CAGR, with China holding 53% of power capacity and Southeast Asia 16.65%.
What this means for your operations: Southeast Asia’s 16.65% share is a decade of new halls to commission. Standardising power, KVM and DCIM tooling now keeps a fast-growing estate manageable later. Teams that scale cleanly fix the management layer before the racks arrive, not after.
Every story this week comes back to getting more from the power and racks you already run, and that is where eNOVA helps. We supply the Raritan intelligent PDUs, Adder and G&D KVM, ZPE out-of-band management and Sunbird DCIM that turn capacity into something you can measure and defend, so talk to our team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is HVO fuel and why are data centres adopting it?
HVO, or hydrotreated vegetable oil, is a renewable diesel made from waste-based feedstock that drops into existing backup generators without modification. Bridge Data Centres and EcoCeres reported up to 90% lower emissions in their May 2026 APAC pilot. For operators it cuts the carbon attached to backup power, which increasingly sits inside sustainability reporting.
Why is APAC data centre investment shifting away from Singapore?
Access to power has become the deciding factor in where capacity gets built. CBRE put 2025 APAC investment at a record US$11.6bn, with Johor growing live capacity 53% year on year against 6 to 8% in Singapore and Hong Kong. Mature markets still grow, but new AI campuses follow the grid headroom.
How can data centre operators free up power without new generation?
Reclaiming stranded capacity through measurement is the fastest route. Intelligent PDUs report power draw at the rack and outlet level, and DCIM tools turn that into usable headroom and a lower PUE. Singapore’s new generation tender targets 2031 to 2032, so optimising the existing grid is the only near-term option.
What is a Tier IV data centre and why does it matter?
Tier IV is the Uptime Institute’s highest reliability rating, requiring fully fault-tolerant, concurrently maintainable infrastructure. NextDC’s KL1 is the first Tier IV-certified facility in Peninsular Malaysia. Higher availability targets raise the value of remote management, since out-of-band and KVM access let teams resolve faults without a site visit.
Is Malaysia overtaking Singapore as Southeast Asia’s data centre hub?
Malaysia is absorbing the AI capacity Singapore cannot site, not replacing Singapore’s role. Johor was APAC’s fastest-growing market in 2025 at 53% capacity growth, and NextDC’s US$716m KL1 adds Tier IV supply. Singapore stays the regional connectivity and control hub while Malaysia handles large-scale compute next door.
