Apac data centre capacity to double by 2030, AI boom creating ‘generational shift’ in power demand: JLL
Data centre capacity in Asia Pacific (Apac) is projected to nearly two times by 2020, as AI-fuelled expansion turns around a decades-long pattern of steady or decreasing electricity demand, according to study by JLL.
Data collected by the real estate consultancy presents that Apac information centre capability will hop from 32 gigawatts (GW) to 57 GW by 2030. Globally, data centre capacity is expected to hit 200GW by then, steered mainly by hyperscale cloud development and AI demand.
As a result, grid access is increasingly driving decision-making for developers, data centre operators, energy firms, and tech business. “For any energy developer, without a grid connection, you don’t have a project,” Jack detailed. “For financiers, this grid congestion equates directly right into risk, but it likewise creates a scarcity premium for properties that supply or obtain grid accessibility.”
The restrictions are creating brand-new chances in similar markets. One such possibility lies in battery energy storage systems (BESS), which JLL posits will play a significantly essential function in handling limited grid access and renewable resource intermittency. “They serve as shock absorbers for constrained grids, charging when power is affordable and plenty, after that discharging when demand and rate are high,” said Eastwick.
All the same, securing power supply is now top of mind for information centre investors in Apac, claimed James Cameron, JLL’s head of energy and facilities for the area. “In liberalised industry in Apac, like Australia, India, Japan and the Philippines, condition and area of grid link is the first concern for capitalists and has the largest valuation influence for development assets.”
Against this backdrop, hyperscalers have disclosed US$ 200 billion ($ 253 billion) in infrastructure spending for 2026, up 51% from 2025. Nonetheless, despite the document capital investment, interconnection lines for brand-new renewable projects currently reach 4 years or even more in some regions, with certain areas compelled to pause new connections entirely, according to JLL.
At the same time, grid access difficulties are motivating industry gamers to come to be direct players in the electricity market, with some technology firms deciding to straight up purchase operating renewable assets to guarantee power supply, according to JLL.
In the middle of a decentralised increase of new renewable energy sources, presenting transmission framework– initially designed for large, centralised power plant– has struggled to cope, resulting in substantial grid blockage around the world.
While data centre build-out still outpaces grid preparation in numerous Apac markets, Cameron expects local characteristics and grid access challenges to drive brand-new collaboration designs. “Whilst the solution will differ depending upon situations, it is clear we are going to see much more partnership opportunities and innovative solutions in between data centre and energy customers throughout the area.”
That change has emphatically reshaped the data centre landscape, with grid framework now emerging as the main restraint. “Power demand is increasing quicker than grids were built to manage,” commented Matt Eastwick, JLL’s US group head and senior managing supervisor for energy and infrastructure.
The AI and data centre boom has actually led to a “generational shift in energy demand”, said Steven Jack, the firm’s head of energy and infrastructure for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, in a Sept 8 release. “Utilities that were predicting moderate development are now grappling with figures virtually double their previous estimates.”
