Apac data centre capacity to double by 2030, AI boom creating ‘generational shift’ in power demand: JLL
Data compiled by the property consultancy presents that Apac data centre capacity will jump from 32 gigawatts (GW) to 57 GW by 2030. Globally, data center capacity is expected to hit 200GW already, driven mainly by hyperscale cloud development and AI need.
That change has emphatically reshaped the data center landscape, with grid facilities now becoming the key restraint. “Power need is rising faster than grids were constructed to manage,” commented Matt Eastwick, JLL’s US group head and senior handling director for energy and infrastructure.
The restraints are developing brand-new opportunities in related markets. One such chance depends on battery energy storage systems (BESS), that JLL posits will play an increasingly essential role in handling restricted grid access and renewable energy intermittency. “They work as shock absorbers for constrained grids, charging when power is cheap and plenty, then releasing when demand and rate are high,” stated Eastwick.
Against this backdrop, hyperscalers have publicized US$ 200 billion ($ 253 billion) in infrastructure costs for 2026, up 51% from 2025. However, despite the document capital expenditure, interconnection queues for new eco-friendly projects now include four years or even more in some regions, with certain areas forced to pause brand-new connections entirely, according to JLL.
Data center capability in Asia Pacific (Apac) is projected to nearly two times by 2020, as AI-fuelled development reverses a decades-long trend of steady or declining electricity demand, according to study by JLL.
While data center build-out still surpasses grid planning in numerous Apac markets, Cameron expects regional characteristics and grid access challenges to drive brand-new partnership designs. “While the solution is going to differ relying on scenarios, it is clear we are going to see a lot more partnership opportunities and innovative solutions in between information centre and power clients throughout the area.”
Amid a decentralised influx of brand-new renewable resource sources, presenting transmission infrastructure– originally developed for huge, centralised power stations– has struggled to adapt, resulting in considerable grid blockage across the globe.
The AI and data center growth has actually led to a “generational change in power need”, stated Steven Jack, the business’s head of energy and infrastructure for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, in a Sept 8 release. “Utilities that were figuring modest expansion are currently grappling with figures nearly double their previous quotes.”
All the same, securing power supply is currently top 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, such as Australia, India, Japan and the Philippines, position and location of grid connection is the first inquiry for investors and has the largest evaluation impact for development assets.”
As a result, grid access is progressively driving decision-making for developers, data centre drivers, energy firms, and tech business. “For any kind of energy developer, without having a grid link, you don’t have a project,” Jack revealed. “For financiers, this grid congestion converts straight into danger, but it also creates a scarcity costs for possessions that provide or obtain grid connectivity.”
At the same time, grid access obstacles are motivating industry players to come to be straight participants in the energy industry, with some technology companies choosing to straight up purchase operating renewable assets to guarantee energy source, according to JLL.
