On 20 March, 2024, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) conducted a joint workshop with Huawei on the Next Generation Data Center Facility in ASEAN. Hosted in Jakarta, Indonesia, the workshop was attended by representatives from the ASEAN Member States (AMS) and ASEAN Secretariat, as well as industry experts from non-profit organisations and the private sector. As the growing economies of ASEAN continue to fuel demand for data centres (DC) for digitalisation, the energy needs of DC will continue to rise. However, DCs are known to be power-hungry devices. This workshop is meant to serve as capacity building on new technologies, innovations, and energy efficiency in DC. 

The event was opened by remarks from the representative of Energy Efficiency & Conservation – Sub Sectoral Network (EE&C-SSN) Focal Point of Thailand, Rungrawee Yingyuad, Renewable Energy Expert, Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency, Ministry of Energy of Thailand. She emphasised the importance of regional cooperation to increase energy efficiency in DC, as the industry in this sector will be vital for facilitating the continued growth of the ASEAN economy.  

Photo 1. Opening Remarks from EE&C-SSN Focal Point of Thailand, Rungrawee Yingyuad

The opening session continued with a welcoming remark from the representative of EE&C-SSN Focal Point of Indonesia as the host country, which was given by Nurcahyanto, the Energy Conservation Technology Implementation Coordinator from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia. He highlighted the workshop’s objectives to share the best practices among experts and AMS officials in addressing the pressing issue of the rapid proliferation of energy consumption in DC.  

Photo 2. Opening Remarks from Dr. Nuki Agya Utama, Executive Director of ACE 

Next, another opening speech was delivered by Dr. Nuki Agya Utama, Executive Director of ACE. He addressed the need for AMS to collaborate more with the private sector to integrate green practices for energy-efficient and sustainable DC development in the region. The current phase of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC), 2021-2025, already considered energy efficiency in the industrial sector, but there is no specific action plan yet for data centre. Hence, knowledge sharing through workshops like this is essential to increase the ASEAN policymakers’ awareness. 

Photo 3. Opening Remarks from Jin Song, CEO of Digital Power Business Indonesia, PT. Huawei Tech Investment 

The final opening remarks was given by Jin Song, CEO of Digital Power Business Indonesia, PT. Huawei Tech Investment. The growing demand for DC will present a new issue of facilitating their energy needs. He remarked on Huawei’s role in utilising innovative technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and energy storage systems, to design the sustainable next-generation DC.  

The first session of the workshop focused on the current regional practices, hearing from a panel of experts, moderated by Dr. Zulfikar Yurnaidi, Manager of Energy Modelling and Policy Planning (MPP) at ACE. The first expert was Rio Jon Piter Silitonga, Research Analyst on Energy Efficiency and Conservation (CEE) at ACE, who presented the recently launched “Policy Brief on Enhancing Strategies for the Sustainability and Deployment of Data Centres in ASEAN”, jointly developed by ACE and Huawei. Some key points from his presentation included the growing DC market in ASEAN is estimated to reach 12.3 billion USD in 2027, and the current Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) average in ASEAN countries is lacking compared to other developed nations. 

Photo 4. 1^st session of the workshop: expert panellist discussion

The next presentation was about “Supporting Future ASEAN High-Performance Computing”, delivered by Dr. Vanny Narita, Senior Officer of the Science and Technology Division at ASEAN Secretariat. The presentation highlighted the efforts conducted by ASEAN to support ASEAN’s ability to develop young digital talent. The last regional practices presentation was a case study from Indonesia: “Best Practices and Challenges of Data Centre” from Matthew Sacha, co-founder of Green Building Council Indonesia and a member of Masyarakat Konservasi dan Efisiensi Energi Indonesia (MASKEEI). DC is the second most emitting industry, only behind factories. As currently most DC deployment is prioritising availability and reliability, there should be improvements in building certification and developing rating tools to assess the energy intensity of DCs. One of the challenges in creating certifications is the limitation of global standards due to different regional geographical needs.  

The following session was about international practices, given by experts from Huawei, namely Johnny Wang, Senior Solution Director of the Asia Pacific Digital Power Data Center Facility Solution Sales Department, and Barry Lee, Senior Director of Data Center Facility and Critical Power Solution. Their presentation focused on the potential trends of DC needs in the future and the possible collaboration between AMS and the private sector, such as Huawei. With the emergence of AI, DC will feature advanced operation and maintenance (O&M) techniques to reduce energy consumption and minimise the costs and risks of service shutdowns. The session was closed by the potential partnership between ACE and Huawei to cooperate in the region, with Huawei’s technical skills in product and design, along with ACE’s role in policy recommendation and catalyst support for AMS. 

The third session of the workshop focused on the national sharing about existing policies and situations in each of the seven AMS that attended the event in-person, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand. This session provided an opportunity for all participants to understand the current conditions of energy efficiency standards, especially in regard to DC, in each of the AMS. In brief summary, almost all AMS mentioned the lack of direct DC policy or mandatory regulations in their nation. There are also some challenges in terms of technical knowledge and financial support gaps in promoting sustainable and efficient DC in their respective country.  

Photo 5. Discussions between AMS and Huawei regarding Data Centre policies 

Some key points from the third session include Malaysia having a voluntary DC guideline with a minimum PUE rating of 1.9 and an excellent rating of around 1.6 PUE. Some AMS also have Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and High Energy Performance Standards (HEPS), though not all are mandatory. The one concern of placing a mandatory rating or guidelines is that it may increase costs, and private industries may suffer. 

After each AMS presentation, the workshop concluded with closing remarks from Septia Buntara, Acting Manager of CEE at ACE. He mentioned the great support from Huawei in the DC discussions and reiterated the importance of collaboration among AMS and government ministries in addressing the growing demands of DC. Regional cooperation would enable AMS to learn best practices from each other and the private sector. 

After the workshop, Huawei invited ACE and AMS delegates to their Indonesia headquarters office to visit their DCs. Huawei officials showcased their DC and smart solar photovoltaic products, as well as some successful examples of projects undertaken in various regions. The next-generation data centre facility will support ASEAN countries in nourishing their growing digital economy while keeping on track with their net zero or energy transition roadmap.