• AirTrunk will invest MYR12 billion in Johor data centres.
• JHB3 and JHB4 will lift AirTrunk’s Malaysia commitment to MYR27 billion.

Australian company AirTrunk plans to invest MYR12 billion, or about US$3 billion, to develop two new data centres in Johor, Malaysia. JHB3 and JHB4 will be located in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, near JHB1 and JHB2, and provide more than 280 megawatts of IT load. Johor is an attractive site for DCs because of its proximity to Singapore and availability of land, according to S&P Global Ratings.

The investment will bring AirTrunk’s total committed investment in Malaysia to about MYR27 billion, or US$6.8 billion. Across its four Malaysian campuses, the company provides more than 700MW of IT load capacity.

AirTrunk said its two existing campuses are almost fully contracted and are tracking ahead of investment plans.

Efficiency and water use

The new energy-efficient JHB3 and JHB4 campuses are designed to support high-density cloud and AI workloads and will have cooling systems that use recycled water.

Malaysia’s sustainable data centre guidelines use Power Use Effectiveness and Water Use Effectiveness to measure energy and water efficiency. For hyperscale facilities, listing a PUE target of 1.4 or lower, and WUE of 2.2 cubic metres per megawatt-hour or lower. AirTrunk did not disclose specific PUE or WUE targets for JHB3 and JHB4.

Local supplier spending

AirTrunk has awarded MYR423 million, or US$107 million, to local suppliers so far. It expects local supplier engagement in its full Johor platform to reach MYR5 billion, or US$1.3 billion, once all four campuses are complete. The development of JHB3 and JHB4 is expected to create more than 3,000 construction jobs.

Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, YAB Datuk Amar Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof, said the investment aligns with Malaysia’s aim to strengthen its role in digital and AI infrastructure, and that the country’s focus is on infrastructure, ecosystem development, efficiency, and the use of clean energy.

Australia’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Danielle Heinecke, said AirTrunk’s investment reflects closer cooperation between Australia and Malaysia in digital infrastructure. The announcement follows Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Malaysia earlier in April, which included discussions on renewable energy and green technology cooperation.

Community programmes

AirTrunk said it supports community initiatives in Johor, citing multi-year STEM scholarships and engagement with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, as well as support for Johor Digital Literacy Day 2025 with ICDL.

The company is also working with Gravity Water and Water Watch Penang on rainwater-harvesting projects for schools in Johor Bahru. The programme aims to provide potable water while supporting water education and stewardship. AirTrunk partners with MERCY Malaysia on flood resilience initiatives in Johor, and national disaster response efforts.

Regional capacity

The Malaysia expansion follows AirTrunk’s recent announcement of its entry into India, where it plans to invest more than US$5 billion, the company says.

With JHB3 and JHB4, AirTrunk’s operating and planned capacity will be in excess of 3.3GW across 22 sites in Australia, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and India.

Want to learn more about Cloud Computing from industry leaders? Check out Cyber Security & Cloud Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is part of TechEx and is co-located with other leading technology events, click here for more information.

Tech Wire Asia is powered by TechForge Media. Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars here.