Vantage opens second data centre in Kuala Lumpur, with a third on the way

Vantage Data Centres has announced the opening of a second data centre facility on its Cyberjaya campus. The new data centre, KUL12, brings the capacity for Vantage to 10 MW across KUL11 and KUL12.

The third facility on the Cyberjaya campus, KUL13, will add 5 more MW of capacity and is expected to open in Q2 2023.

KUL12 broke ground in May 2021 and incorporates leading-edge sustainability features, including the implementation of a closed-loop chilling system that greatly reduces the use of water to cool the facility. This is critical, especially in a location with year-round external heat.

Brian Groen, President of Vantage APAC, noted, “Vantage is actively investing in new developments in Malaysia to serve growing customer demand and support the country’s aspiration to become a digital economic hub.”

“We are excited to open the doors to this additional data centre while continuing our expansion and investment in greater Kuala Lumpur.”

Amanda Abell, Senior Director of Sustainability at Vantage, recently provided details on how the company plans to meet aggressive sustainability goals, including net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. She said that Vantage was taking a three-pronged approach, including investment in new technologies, renewable energy, and carbon removal projects. This focus on ESG, common to data centre service providers, aligns with increasing investment in renewable energy products across Malaysia.

Southeast Asia is currently witnessing a boom in infrastructure investment, including interest from Vantage owners, private equity firm DigitalBridge. Reuters reports that Southeast Asia’s industrial and telecom deals have increased by about 30% year over year. Additionally, upcoming deals may include a $600 million USD bid for Time Dotcom Bhd, a Malaysian data centre firm, by DigitalBridge.

“Southeast Asia is a highly sought-after market given the compelling growth outlook for infrastructure assets,” said Ee-Ching Tay, head of investment banking for Southeast Asia at Barclays.

The data centre market in Southeast Asia is currently fragmented, increasing the overall competitiveness and spurring growth in investment over the next several years. A recent analysis projects that it will grow by $12.6 billion USD through 2025, at a rate of 13% CAGR.