Princeton Digital Group Expands Data Centers in Asia, Driven by AI Demand

PDG Eyes Asia Data Center Expansion Fueled by AI

Princeton Digital Group plans to add more than 300 employees and double the capacity of its data centers in three years. (Bloomberg) -- Singapore's Princeton Digital Group plans to double the capacity of its data centers in three years to meet surging demand from global artificial intelligence developers, highlighting tech firms' rising interest in Asia. The Warburg Pincus-backed company is adding more than 300 employees in markets including Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and India by the end of 2025 as AI propels its growth, Rangu Salgame, PDG's chairman and chief executive officer, said in an interview. PDG is among data center operators capitalizing on global tech's push to expand in fast-growing regions such as India and Southeast Asia. The company has built capacity requiring one gigawatt of energy in the past six years, and the ballooning demand for AI data centers from Mumbai to Singapore means its capacity is now set to double in about half the time, Salgame said. "Now with the AI speed, probably we will have one gigawatt in at least half the time, which is in three years - maybe sooner," he said. PDG, which also counts Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and United Arab Emirates' sovereign fund Mubadala Investment Company as investors, has data centers in several countries, including the major markets of India and China. It started to operate the first phase of a 150 MW data center in Johor, Malaysia, in early July after securing a $280 million green loan to finance the $1.5 billion project. The world invested close to $22 billion to build data centers in the first five months of this year, reflecting an increasingly critical role that the facilities play in supporting the expanding digital economy, according to a Linklaters report. "We are talking about 70% to 200% growth of capacity over the next few years," Salgame said. "That means we will be building a lot more than we'd thought two years ago, and that's across all the markets - Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, and India."

Princeton Digital Group Releases 2023-2024 ESG Report: Sustainability in the Era of AI

Princeton Digital Group (PDG), Asia's leading data center provider, today announced the release of its 2023-2024 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report. Titled "Sustainability in the Era of AI", the report details the company's commitments and measurable performance in terms of environmental sustainability, health and safety, social responsibility and corporate governance. "We are proud to share our progress on reducing our carbon footprint, ensuring workplace safety, implementing green financing and enhancing community engagement. The scale of AI- ready data centers necessitate a comprehensive reassessment of energy and cooling strategies. As we embark on our next phase of AI driven growth, energy transition remains our foremost priority. We are innovating to enhance energy and resource efficiency, ensuring the highest safety standards at our data centers, deepening community engagement, and prioritizing skills development in all our regions of operation.," said Rangu Salgame, Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of PDG. This report outlines PDG's goal of achieving Net Zero for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030, and the company's initiation of Scope 3 emissions reporting. Key achievements highlighted in the 2023-2024 report include: Progress on Net Zero roadmap: PDG met its goal of offsetting approximately 15% of its carbon footprint through renewable energy procurement.Renewable Energy: The company entered long-term agreements to procure solar power for its data center in Mumbai, India, and biomass power for its data center campus in Greater Jakarta, Indonesia. The company also installed solar rooftop panels at its facility in Shanghai, China.ISO 45001 Certification: All greenfield operational data centers achieved ISO 45001 certification, ensuring rigorous management of occupational health and safety risks.Advanced Cooling Technologies: PDG adopted advanced cooling technologies and other energy efficiency initiatives to improve Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE).Green Finance Framework: PDG developed its green finance framework and secured USD 375 million in green loans for its SG+® projects in Singapore and Johor in early 2024. PDG's 2023-2024 ESG Report, developed in accordance with GRI standards details the goals and progress against each of the company's material topics. It features PDG's comprehensive governance structure to enhance transparency and accountability in its sustainability efforts. The 2023 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are externally assured by a reputed third-party audit firm. For more information, please head to our ESG page to download the PDF version of the report. ### About Princeton Digital Group Princeton Digital Group (PDG) is a leading developer and operator of Internet infrastructure. Headquartered in Singapore with presence and operations in Singapore, Japan, India, Indonesia, China, and Malaysia, its portfolio of data centers powers the expansion of hyperscalers and enterprises in the fastest-growing digital economies across Asia. For more information, visit www.princetondg.com or follow us on LinkedIn.