AirTrunk taps recycled water supply for Malaysian data centres

Australia-headquartered AirTrunk will jointly develop a recycled water supply initiative to its Johor data centre campuses, JHB1 and JHB2, in Malaysia with Johor Special Water (JSW).

JSW is a wholly owned entity of the Johor state government through Permodalan Darul Ta’zim (PDT), the state-owned investment arm of the state of Johor, Malaysia.

The recycled water supply scheme is one of the largest of its kind in Malaysia to date and reinforces the hyperscale data centre provider’s “commitment to the sustainable use of resources and circularity”, it claimed.  

The initiative will see recycled water locally produced from unused wastewater and will involve significant investment in the development of treatment and supply infrastructure.

The recycled water will be used to meet the operational needs of AirTrunk’s data centres in Johor, conserving vital water resources for local communities.  

Access to this alternative water supply complements the energy-efficient design of AirTrunk’s campuses including a liquid cooling system implemented at JHB1 since 2024.

The approach enhances operational efficiency while also promoting the sustainable management of Johor’s water resources. 

Importantly, the water initiative addresses calls from the Malaysian and Johor State governments for alternative water solutions to alleviate pressure on water supplies.

ARN understands that AirTrunk is actively exploring sustainable water initiatives with water supply utilities in all its markets including Sydney and Melbourne, where its Australian data centres are located.

AirTrunk’s water resilience strategy is critical to our sustainability practices, as it considers local conditions including the source, type of water and water stress levels, as well as the management, disposal and recycling of water.

Its water resilience action plan includes ensuring responsible design and operations in regions experiencing increased water stress, exploring alternative water source projects to reduce dependency on potable water across our portfolio and deploying water optimisation programs across our portfolio, targeting year-on-year WUE reductions at site level, it claimed.

AirTrunk CEO Robin Khuda said AirTrunk recognises that water is a precious resource.

“We’re developing innovative solutions to ensure we use water as productively as possible,” he said. “This initiative complements the other sustainability programs we have put in place including renewable energy to support the energy transition and social impact initiatives for the long-term benefit of the community.” 

AirTrunk‘s FY24 sustainability report showed the hyperscale data centre provider’s portfolio water use was 53 per cent recycled water.

According to the report, AirTrunk will reduce the upper threshold of water stress limit by 0.1 for all classifications by 2030.

It is currently on target to achieve 100 per cent of internal annual targets, with all of campuses and data centres meeting design-defined water use efficiency limits based on regional water stress limits.