PDG launches phase one of 150MW Johor data centre campus
From empty land to data centre in 12 months.
PDG yesterday launched the first phase of its 150MW data centre in Johor - built in 12 months flat.
Princeton Digital Group (PDG) acquired the land for its 150MW JH1 data centre, located in Sedenak Tech Park, Johor, in May last year.
The foundations were completed in October 2023, and work began on above-ground construction with an RFS of Q2 2024.
At an event yesterday, PDG officially launched Phase One of its data centre campus, comprising 52MW of capacity.
The data centre
Here are some quick details pulled from the press release.
- Rooftop utilised for solar panels.
- One of the largest data centre campuses in SEA.
- Cost of data centre campus pegged at US$1.5 billion.
The rapid completion was credited to TNB's Green Lane Pathway initiative, which promises to deliver electricity supply for large data centre deployments 3x faster.
At the event, PDG also signed an Electricity Supply Agreement with TNB to energize the entire 150 MW.
PDG's SG+ strategy
PDG has an "SG+" strategy, which sees the construction of massive data centres in Johor and Batam as an extension of its operations in Singapore.
- Batam data centre (80MW) - Under construction.
- Johor JH1 data centre (150MW) - Phase One.
- Singapore SG1 data centre.
Of course, PDG has data centres in many parts of Southeast Asia too.
Some backgrounder
The JH1 data centre falls under the purview of Asher Ling, CTO of PDG and managing director of Singapore.
I first met Asher when he was the COO of Kingsland Development, where he cut his teeth at the former Kingsland data centre.
An extremely motivated, hands-on leader who picked up the ropes despite not being from the industry then, he was instrumental in getting the independent data centre built - a rare feat.
- At PDG, he oversaw the seamless retrofitting of the SG1 data centre, which was acquired from IO Data Centers in 2019.
- The retrofit was necessary because IO used a proprietary modular design based on shipping containers, which I saw during my visit when IO launched in 2013.
For now, PDG says it features cutting-edge sustainable technologies and next-generation design.
More to come
Unfortunately, my invitation never reached me from the agency, so I'll have to arrange a separate trip to have a look.
I'll report back when I learn more!