Princeton Digital Group (PDG), Asia’s leading data centre provider has entered into a definitive agreement with JLand Group (JLG), Johor Corporation’s real estate and infrastructure arm, for the acquisition of 31 acres of land in Sedenak Tech Park (STeP), Johor, to build a 150 MW hyperscale campus. With an investment of RM 2 billion (~USD 450 million), the first phase of 60 MW is planned to be ready for commencement of operations by Q2 2024.

The project marks PDG’s entry into Malaysia, its sixth country after Singapore, China, Indonesia, India, and Japan.  Named JH1, the data centre will be one of the largest DC campuses in Southeast Asia to serve the infrastructure needs of customers across the region.

PDG and JLG held a signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur today which was witnessed by Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Onn Hafiz bin Ghazi, Menteri Besar Johor and Chairman of Johor Corporation.

“At this point, the focus for JLG is expanding data centre opportunities as investors and operators are prioritising the sector’s fast-growing prospects.  Through our integrated offerings at Sedenak Tech Park (STeP), we remain committed to strengthening Johor’s position as a regional data centre hub given its capability to meet the accelerating demand. PDG’s entry into Johor and STeP is a strong validation of JLG’s strategy and offerings.” said Datuk Syed Mohamed, President and Chief Executive of Johor Corporation and Chairman of JLG.

“With more companies and communities targeting to introduce next-gen digital tools and strategies, the demand for reliable, smart, and resilient data storage will grow exponentially.   Therefore, the drive is on for us to improve the sustainability performance of data centres through Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platforms, energy and power monitoring, and innovative cooling technologies,” added Datuk Syed Mohamed.

“Our entry into Malaysia adds to PDG’s growing footprint in Asia, further strengthening our presence as the Pan-Asia digital infrastructure leader,” said Rangu Salgame, Chairman & CEO of Princeton Digital Group.

Asher Ling, Chief Technology Officer, and Managing Director of PDG, Singapore, further added, “We have a deep understanding of hyperscaler needs as they expand their presence in Southeast Asia while requiring access to best in class digital infrastructure.  Sedenak Tech Park with its strong power and connectivity infrastructure, and other enabling factors is the ideal site for our hyperscale development. Our data centre will utilize next-generation, cutting-edge sustainable technology solutions. We are also actively collaborating with local partners and regulators to integrate renewable energy initiatives for powering our facility.”

JLG also announced the expansion of its 640-acre data centre park, STeP 2, which is projected to be ready in September 2024. As part of the larger Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC) development, STeP 2 will be powered by a solar photovoltaic farm, in line with the Low Carbon Cities Framework (LCCF).  Further, STeP 2 is set to benefit from IBTECs’ preparations in achieving Malaysia Digital (MD) Cybercentre status.

Asia Pacific’s rapid growth of cloud computing, e-commerce, and big data applications has led to expansion of data centre capacity and smart infrastructure systems.  In the recently announced Knight Frank SEA-5 Data Centre Opportunity

Index (SEA-5 Index), Malaysia was identified as the top destination for data centre investment, with take up of 113 MW and GDP growth of 8.7% in 2022.  This affirms Malaysia’s position as one of the region’s fastest growing colocation markets, steadily drawing in investors and data centre operators.

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