It is an undeniable fact that data centers require a large amount of water for cooling systems. The water consumption factor is the reason Singapore has imposed a moratorium on the construction of new data centers, which makes Johor a very attractive alternative location. But is the water consumption for data centers in Malaysia going to have an impact on the country in the near future?
According to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof in Parliament today, the water consumption by Malaysian data centers is much lower than the original demand. In 2024, 9 data centers in Selangor used 1.61 million liters per day (MLD) which is only 28% compared to the 5.71 MLD requested. The entire state of Selangor used 5308 MLD throughout 2024.
In Johor, 13 data centers used 6.1 MLD of water throughout 2024 compared to the 29.1 MLD requested. This is equivalent to only 21% of the total water requested. The entire state of Johor will use 2001 MLD of water by 2024.
However, water demand for data centres will increase to 73.88 MLD in Selangor, 384 MLD in Johor and 56 MLD in Negeri Sembilan by 2030. The DPM also stated that the income from data centre construction and current water usage tariffs are sufficient to protect the country’s water supply system.
Lower water consumption can be achieved through the use of new, more efficient cooling technologies. Microsoft’s latest cooling system, for example, is continuously cycled in a closed system that does not require a constant supply of clean water. Meanwhile, in China, undersea cooling systems are used and there are plans to build space data centres that do not require any water at all.
