Solar, wind energy could power a third of Asean data centres in 2030: report

[SINGAPORE] Solar and wind energy could power up to a third of data centres in South-east Asia in 2030 via power grids and without the need for batteries, said a report by energy think-tank Ember.

“This indicates that high battery costs are not an immediate barrier to adopting these electricity sources for data centres,” said Ember, which made the forecast based on estimates of power consumption and solar and wind capacity.

South-east Asia is emerging as a data centre hub, but the International Energy Agency has forecast that regional data centres’ electricity usage will nearly double by 2030, from 2024 levels.