The latest report from Research & Markets includes a very strong outlook for the sustainable data centre market in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The report includes a forecast for growth of over 15% CAGR, predicting that the market for sustainable data centres will grow from £7.4 billion ($9.68 billion) in 2023 to £17.6 billion ($22.91 billion) in 2029.
China, Australia, Japan, and Singapore are at the forefront of sustainable data centre initiatives in the APAC region. One of the ways that these countries are leading sustainability initiatives is in the consumption of renewables, incorporating renewable energy into data centre operations.
For example, a different report, from Boston Consulting Group, shows that renewables will make up a significant portion of total energy consumption by 2030, accounting for 59% in China, 55% in Vietnam, and an astonishing 84% in Laos.
This regional push towards sustainability is, in part, a response to growing concerns about power consumption by the data centre industry. Across the APAC region, governmental policies are being implemented to help reduce the impact of data centre power consumption.
For example, in China, the Green Data Centre standard mandates a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.3 at all data centres by 2025. The Singapore Green Plan includes similar efficiency requirements, as well as targets to increase the use of solar as a source of renewable energy.
In addition to a supportive regulatory landscape, the report attributes a culture of innovation to driving strong market growth in the near future. Examples of data-centre-focused sustainability projects include a partnership between Honda and Mistubishi exploring using recycled fuel cells to power a data centre and using hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) to power backup generators.
Digital Edge is also testing innovative technologies to use in the data centre, launching a robotics pilot program at its Narra1 data centre in the Philippines.
