Apac data centre capacity to double by 2030, AI boom creating ‘generational shift’ in power demand: JLL
Data collected by the realty consultancy shows that Apac data centre capacity will jump from 32 gigawatts (GW) to 57 GW by 2030. Globally, data centre capacity is assumed to hit 200GW already, steered largely by hyperscale cloud expansion and AI need.
All the same, securing power supply is now leading of mind for information center investors in Apac, claimed James Cameron, JLL’s head of energy and infrastructure for the area. “In liberalised industry in Apac, including Australia, India, Japan and the Philippines, condition and place of grid link is the first concern for financiers and has the largest appraisal effect for development assets.”
Against this backdrop, hyperscalers have publicized US$ 200 billion ($ 253 billion) in infrastructure spending for 2026, up 51% from 2025. However, despite the record capital expenditure, interconnection queues for new renewable projects now extend to 4 years or more in some regions, with particular areas required to pause brand-new connections entirely, according to JLL.
The restrictions are producing brand-new opportunities in associated markets. One such possibility lies in battery energy storage systems (BESS), that JLL posits will play a progressively essential function in handling minimal grid access and renewable energy intermittency. “They act as shock shields for constricted grids, charging when power is affordable and rich, then discharging when need and price are high,” said Eastwick.
Amidst a decentralised influx of new renewable resource resources, presenting transmission infrastructure– initially developed for huge, centralised power stations– has struggled to cope, causing significant grid congestion across the globe.
As a result, grid access is progressively driving decision-making for developers, data centre operators, energy firms, and tech business. “For any kind of energy developer, without having a grid link, you don’t have a project,” Jack detailed. “For capitalists, this grid blockage equates straight right into threat, but it likewise develops a scarcity premium for possessions that provide or obtain grid access.”
At the same time, grid accessibility challenges are triggering sector gamers to come to be straight participants in the electricity industry, with some technology business choosing to straight up purchase operating renewable assets to ensure energy source, according to JLL.
While data center build-out still exceeds grid planning in a number of Apac markets, Cameron expects local dynamics and grid access challenges to drive new partnership models. “While the solution will vary depending on scenarios, it is clear we are going to see a lot more collaboration opportunities and innovative solutions in between information centre and power clients throughout the area.”
Data centre capability in Asia Pacific (Apac) is forecasted to nearly double by 2020, as AI-fuelled development turns around a decades-long trend of steady or declining electricity demand, according to research study by JLL.
That change has decisively reshaped the information center landscape, with grid facilities currently becoming the main restriction. “Power demand is rising faster than grids were built to handle,” commented Matt Eastwick, JLL’s US group head and senior managing director for energy and facilities.
The AI and data center upsurge has resulted in a “generational shift in power need”, stated Steven Jack, the company’s head of energy and infrastructure for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, in a Sept 8 release. “Utilities that were predicting moderate expansion are currently grappling with numbers virtually double their previous estimates.”
