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The rapid surge in AI demand is driving Japan’s data center development into a brand-new phase. With the soaring performance of GPU servers dedicated to generative AI, the industry is shifting its focus away from traditional air cooling toward liquid cooling systems. This technology has even begun catching the attention of mainstream media, with television specials raising public awareness of what was once a niche data center topic.

Amid this trend, the NTT Group’s massive investments in data center infrastructure are turning heads. Reports indicate that their future investment scale could reach approximately 2 trillion yen, solidifying NTT’s position as a cornerstone of Japan’s domestic AI infrastructure.

A prime example is unfolding in Chiba Prefecture’s Inzai and Shiroi areas. A massive data center project with an estimated total capacity of 200 megawatts (MW) is underway, further cementing the region’s status as a premier next-generation data center hub on the outskirts of Tokyo.

The Shift to Liquid Cooling in the AI Era

The primary driver behind the liquid cooling boom is the sheer power consumption of AI servers. High-performance GPUs generate massive amounts of heat, pushing traditional air-cooling methods to their absolute efficiency limits.

By utilizing cooling fluids to absorb heat directly from the components, liquid cooling systems drastically improve thermal efficiency while curbing overall power consumption. For AI workloads—where improving Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is paramount—liquid cooling capability is quickly becoming a standard requirement for upcoming hyperscale data centers.

NTT Group’s strategy, however, goes beyond mere capital expenditure. It represents a broader effort to establish a stable foundation for operating AI infrastructure within Japan by optimizing telecommunications, power supply, and cooling technologies as a single, integrated ecosystem.

This is precisely why regions like Inzai and Shiroi have become so critical. They offer the rare combination of high-capacity power grid access and excellent proximity to the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Community Integration: The New Frontier of Data Center Development

As data center construction accelerates, the industry faces a new challenge: managing relationships with local communities. Because these facilities are massive, concerns often arise regarding their visual impact, noise levels, and heavy energy consumption. Today, tech companies can no longer secure local support through investment alone.

In this context, the comprehensive partnership agreement for regional revitalization signed between Shiroi City and the NTT Group is a landmark move. It highlights a growing shift toward viewing data centers not as isolated fortresses, but as catalysts for local economic growth and industrial revitalization.

This approach is becoming the regulatory norm. In April 2026, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government released its “Guidelines for Data Centers in Harmony with the City,” which explicitly stresses the importance of resident briefings, community dialogue, and environmental consideration. Moving forward, operators will be judged not just by their engineering capabilities, but by how well they coexist with their neighbors.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has incorporated “regional industrial promotion plans centered on data centers” into its Green Transformation (GX) strategy selection criteria. In short, data centers are no longer being treated as mere IT infrastructure—they are being recontextualized as vital pillars tied to local economies and national energy policies.

Data center development in the AI era is evolving. It is no longer just a race for efficiency through liquid cooling; it is a push toward a new generation of infrastructure built on the premise of community symbiosis. The developments in the Shiroi area will undoubtedly serve as a crucial blueprint for the future of the industry.

In April 2026, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced its initial selection of regions designated for promoting Green Transformation (GX) industrial hubs. While this announcement was limited to the prefectural level—with specific municipalities to be finalized later this summer—it already outlines a critical direction for companies evaluating location strategies for data centers and semiconductor-related industries.

A particularly noteworthy takeaway is the shifting focus from the traditional concentration in the Greater Tokyo Area toward a nation-wide, decentralized model that prioritizes power availability and decarbonized energy sources. Driven by the surge in AI demand, power consumption by data centers is skyrocketing. Consequently, discussions around GX policies and data center location strategies are increasingly becoming intertwined.

A GX Strategy Focused on “Nationwide Distribution”

A key feature of this GX regional selection is its classification into several distinct models, such as “Petrochemical & Industrial Clusters,” “Data Center Hubs,” and “Decarbonized Power Utilization Models.” This indicates a strategic intent to distribute industries across the country based on power infrastructure and existing industrial foundations, rather than pursuing mere urban development.

On the other hand, the relatively low number of selections in the Kansai region (Osaka and surrounding areas)—which already boasts a major presence as a data center hub—has raised eyebrows. This likely reflects an intentional policy to avoid over-concentration in specific areas and to maintain a balanced load across the nation’s power grids.

Until now, large-scale data centers in Japan have continuously concentrated in the Greater Tokyo and Kansai areas. However, with the exponential growth in demand for AI-driven infrastructure, regional decentralization is becoming inevitable from the standpoint of both grid load management and power procurement.

One symbolic move in this direction is the city of Utsunomiya’s initiative to attract large-scale data centers. Its plan to leverage land adjacent to a TEPCO Power Grid substation to secure an estimated 400-megawatt supply capacity is drawing significant attention as a model for data center development directly linked to power infrastructure. With other municipalities in Tochigi Prefecture also actively courting developers, the entire Northern Kanto region is emerging as a major new alternative hub.

An Era Where Decarbonized Power Determines Data Center Locations

What is particularly interesting about this GX strategy is the inclusion of the “Decarbonized Power Utilization Model.” In the future, data center site selection will likely place a premium not just on securing land, but on proximity to stable power sources, including renewable energy and nuclear power.

For instance, the Kashiwazaki area in Niigata Prefecture has long attracted attention due to its proximity to a nuclear power plant. In Kagoshima Prefecture, rumors are circulating about large-scale data center developments by Taiwanese companies around the Satsuma-Sendai area. Furthermore, areas facing the Sea of Japan, such as Tomakomai and Ishikari in Hokkaido, as well as Akita Prefecture, are generating high expectations for their connectivity to offshore wind power.

The Sea of Japan coast, in particular, overlaps heavily with promising areas for future offshore wind development, making it highly compatible with the GX strategy. The model of directly supplying massive amounts of renewable energy to power-hungry infrastructure is expected to gain further traction in policy discussions.

In addition, the “Guidelines for Data Centers in Harmony with Cities,” published by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2026, is highly symbolic. The guidelines clearly demand that future data center construction incorporate energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy, and harmony with local communities. Data centers are transitioning from mere IT facilities into critical infrastructure that must be planned in tandem with regional energy policies and urban planning.

Whether or not a region was explicitly selected as a GX promotion zone in this round, locations that can “stably supply massive amounts of power” and offer “high connectivity to decarbonized energy sources” will undoubtedly strengthen their presence as the new frontiers for data center development.

As generative AI continues its lightning-fast evolution, Anthropic, a leading US-based AI firm, has found itself at the center of a heated debate. Their recent decision to walk away from negotiations with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is being hailed as a landmark moment—a symbolic “fork in the road” regarding AI ethics and its applications. This clash also underscores the critical role of data centers as the backbone of this rapidly scaling industry.

Military Ambitions vs. Ethical Boundaries

Reports indicate that Anthropic rejected the DoD’s proposal for the broad military use of its flagship model, “Claude,” particularly in areas involving surveillance and the analysis of private citizen data. While the Pentagon argued that such applications are legal, Anthropic reportedly prioritized the risks of privacy infringement and the potential slide into a surveillance state.

At the heart of this stance is “Constitutional AI,” Anthropic’s proprietary framework. Unlike models that are simply trained on raw performance, Claude is governed by a pre-defined set of ethical principles—a “constitution.” For Anthropic, social impact isn’t an afterthought; it is a core design requirement. By adhering to this philosophy, the company has made it clear that it will not allow its technology to be repurposed for mass surveillance or autonomous weaponry.

This sets a stark contrast with competitors like OpenAI, which has shown a greater willingness to collaborate with the Pentagon. The industry is witnessing a clear ideological split: one path prioritizes “ethics and safety,” while the other prioritizes “utility and pragmatism.”

Why Ethical AI is Winning in the Corporate Sector

Interestingly, Anthropic’s rigid ethical stance hasn’t hindered its commercial success. On the contrary, its reputation for safety has become a competitive advantage. Enterprises that prioritize brand integrity and risk management are increasingly choosing Claude over more “permissive” models.

For a corporation, a model that is “too powerful” can be a liability if it produces hallucinations or toxic content. Anthropic’s focus on stability and predictability—fruits of its Constitutional AI approach—makes it a safer bet for businesses that cannot afford a PR disaster.

Furthermore, this surge in adoption is fueling an unprecedented demand for infrastructure. Training and running these sophisticated models require massive computational power, turning the AI race into a race for data center dominance. High-stakes AI, which demands rigorous data sovereignty and control, requires specialized, high-performance environments, making infrastructure more vital than ever.

An Era of Selection: Beyond the Performance Race

The AI market is currently in an explosive growth phase, crowded with tech giants, nimble startups, and government-backed initiatives. However, we are moving past the era of “performance at any cost.” We are entering an era where the underlying values of an AI developer will be the primary criteria for selection.

While some might view Anthropic’s refusal of military contracts as a short-term loss of revenue, it is a strategic move to solidify its position as the world’s most “trusted” AI provider. In the background, the physical infrastructure—data centers and power grids—will continue to be the silent engine driving this transformation.

AI becomes an inseparable part of our social infrastructure, the choice made by Anthropic serves as a definitive case study in the industry. It reminds us that while the march of technology is relentless, the values we embed within it will ultimately define the future of our society.

SoftBank, led by Masayoshi Son, is reportedly considering the construction of a massive data center in Ohio, USA. As the demand for AI skyrockets, the infrastructure supporting this computational power has transformed into a strategic national asset. In the United States, we are seeing a surge in massive facilities being developed in the interior regions where land and power are more accessible—SoftBank’s latest vision is a textbook example of this trend.

The Competitive Edge and Challenges of Hyperscaling

Modern data centers are undergoing a radical shift toward “hyperscaling” that sets them apart from traditional facilities. Driven by the explosive growth of AI and cloud services, today’s centers require immense power and cooling capacities, leading to a dramatic increase in scale per site. SoftBank Group’s potential project in the U.S. is a symbolic milestone in this movement.

However, scaling up comes with its own set of hurdles. Securing a stable power supply is arguably the most critical challenge, making the use of renewable energy and the optimization of power efficiency non-negotiable.

This is where mechanisms like “Watt-Bit Synergy”—an advanced energy management framework—come into play. By controlling power supply and demand in real-time to optimize operations, even these “mega-facilities” can achieve sustainability. In the current landscape, massive scale and sophisticated energy control have become inseparable.

The Potential for Regional Decentralization in Japan

These developments in the U.S. offer significant insights for Japan’s own data center strategy. Historically, Japanese facilities have been concentrated in the Tokyo and Kansai metropolitan areas. However, constraints on power grids and the need for disaster risk mitigation are sparking a push for regional decentralization. As data centers grow larger, it becomes more logical to locate them in regional areas where land and power are easier to secure.

Furthermore, if energy management technologies like “Watt-Bit Synergy” take root in Japan, they could compensate for regional infrastructure limitations while enabling highly efficient operations. When combined with the local production and consumption of renewable energy, the competitiveness of regional hubs will only increase.

Conclusion

SoftBank’s vision for a large-scale data center in Ohio is more than just one company’s move; it is a case study in the simultaneous trends of “Hyperscaling” and “Decentralization.” Japan is likely to follow a similar trajectory. The key to future success will lie in the development of large-scale regional data centers supported by the continued evolution of power management technologies.

　We are an asset management company established to promote investment in Japan for the assets in the digital infrastructure sector.

　The development and acceleration of the digital & digital infrastructure mainly pulls economic growth, not only in Japan but also around the world. Meanwhile, digitalization in Japan is still lagging behind major Western and Asian countries (Japan ranks 27th in the World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2020). It has passed more than 20 years since the beginning of 21st century. In Japan, however, we could not have big innovation because the political, administrative, economic, and social systems have never broken away from their traditional ways. I believe this is one of the reasons why we are too much behind other advanced countries in this field.

　Going back to the late 1990s, Japan experienced financial crisis following the bursting of the bubble economy. At that time, Western investment funds accelerated their investment to non-performing loans and real estate in Japan, and gained a lot. Japan was able to escape from the worst-case scenario and gradually set a roadmap for the revival of the Japanese economy. Although Japan gained a chance to go to direct finance from indirect, it has not yet been able to create the huge investment funds like those of western countries, middle east countries and Singapore. I believe that one of the reasons for this is the national character of the Japanese people. Our risk-taking sensitivity differs from that of continental peoples. But what about this situation from the fast-growing companies point of view which requires huge capital investments? If it is difficult to raise funds through indirect financing. Without the risk money to the project, there is no hope for the future growth of the Japanese economy, and that would take away the opportunities from many talented people and companies that are trying to create new business.

　Now we are in the new trend under the economic recovery from the Covid-19 crisis , the strong promotion of digitalization, the decarbonization, the change and diversification of people’s values, and the emphasis on SDGs and a symbiotic society.

　We are working for the growth and acceleration of the digital infrastructure field, which is the backbone of the promotion of the digital field. Currently, AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Deep learning are the must for digital field. However digital infrastructure has not been established yet to prepare for HPC (High Performance Computing) which is necessary for these two tech. The overall digital infrastructure, including high-performance data centers, edge data centers, and communication networks and base stations, needs to be established as soon as possible. Approximately 80% of Japanese data centers are concentrated in the Kanto and Kansai area from latency and access point of view. It is a problem from a BCP perspective. In addition more than 40% of existing data centers are more than 20 years old. Furthermore low-power data centers (2 kVA/rack or less), which cannot afford to deal with huge amount of data transaction for such as AI (these are at least 6 kVA/rack). kVA/rack or more), account for more than 60% out of all data centers. And the most important point is huge amount of money is required to establish digital infrastructure. It is said that it costs more than 3 million yen per “tsubo” for total floor space to build a new data center. Its cost is about three times as much as that of a popular office building. For example, the cost of a data center with more than 1,000 racks is 10 billion yen or more. It is not easy to decide this investment by considering the size of it. From this point of view, only a few large carriers and system integrators with strong financial background can build a data center in Japan. In order to overcome this issue, we strongly recommend the liquidation of real estate investment funds (off-balance sheet investment) with asset management services. In other words, by the separation of ownership and management, we can accelerate the investment in the digital infrastructure field. At the same time, it is necessary not only to promote investment, but also to give due consideration to the trend toward decarbonization. This means that investments in digital infrastructure must be positioned as ESG investments.

　We would like to contribute to the establishment of Japanese next-generation digital infrastructure and economic development by promoting the investment to the Digital Infrastructure in Japan through our asset management service. Because we want to continue to be a essential company in digital infrastructure.

　Wishing that we can make good relationship with stakeholders by getting their understanding and sympathy to our vision.
　
May 2022
Masayoshi Kosugi
Representative Director
Digital Infrastructure Lab, Inc.

With the rapid spread of artificial intelligence (AI), the importance of data centers is increasing. Currently, there is a potential shortage of data centers to support generative AI and the AI of the next few years, and there are challenges such as how to secure the large amounts of electricity consumed by data centers. While companies are making efforts to meet demand by using renewable energy and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, domestic companies tend to be less aware of this issue.

GAFAM companies have been building their own renewable energy power plants.

Companies like Amazon, known as GAFAM, have already entered into long-term contracts with power generators to directly procure renewable energy. They secure renewable energy generation facilities near electricity-consuming facilities such as data centers and use renewable energy in a “local production for local consumption” manner.

Google has announced that it has procured more than 50 renewable energy sources with a total capacity of 5.5 GW. Microsoft has announced contracts for 5.8 GW of renewable energy sources in 10 countries worldwide.

Government considers subsidy system

Meanwhile, the government has announced that it will promote industrial clustering in regions with abundant decarbonized electricity such as renewable energy and nuclear power. A system is being considered to review investment plans by companies and local governments when constructing factories and data centers, and to make projects with a high degree of decarbonization eligible for corporate tax breaks and subsidies.

The Green Transformation (GX) Promotion Act, which sets out the government’s decarbonization strategy, will be amended. Companies will be required to formulate plans specifying the proportion of decarbonized electricity used for facility development.

By making applications with municipalities that meet a certain level of decarbonized electricity for use within the region a condition, the government aims to shift to a corporate location policy focused on reducing environmental impact.

After certification, companies will be eligible for measures such as corporate tax reductions and subsidies for capital investment.

Expectations for a change in corporate awareness towards decarbonization

There is a bias in the regions where decarbonized electricity can be supplied domestically. Regions with a high proportion of decarbonized power sources, exceeding 40%, are limited to Hokkaido, Kansai, and Kyushu in Japan, where power generation facilities such as solar and wind power are widely located. Suitable locations for offshore wind power, which is subject to wind direction, are limited to the offshore areas of Hokkaido, Aomori Prefecture, Akita Prefecture, and Nagasaki Prefecture.

If electricity is transported far from the power plant, transmission losses occur. Transmission network equipment also incurs costs, making the use of electricity from remote locations expensive. Industrial clustering promotes local production for local consumption of electricity and leads to efficient use of energy.

In recent years, there has been active construction of semiconductor-related factories and new data centers in Japan. While electricity consumption is expected to increase, the government aims to achieve net zero emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 by 2050.

It is expected that subsidies will encourage companies to become more aware of decarbonization, but it remains to be seen how this will actually play out. We would like to introduce the future situation as well.

Irish government restricts data center development

Ireland’s The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has decided to limit the impact by imposing a de facto moratorium on new data center development in the Dublin metropolitan area.

Ireland’s national transmission operator EirGrid said in response that it would only consider new applications for grid connection on a case-by-case basis. The restrictions could reportedly last until 2028.

Martin Shanahan, CEO of Ireland’s Industrial Development Authority (IDA), recently said that new data centers “are unlikely to occur in Dublin and the East Coast at this time.”

Google has asked such Irish regulators not to impose a moratorium on data center development in the country.

In The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) filing, the company said search and cloud companies must “absolutely” avoid a moratorium on data center development.

Google said such a ban would send a “wrong signal” about Ireland’s digital economy ambitions, and would affect the country’s infrastructure, according to a Freedom of Information request first reported by The Irish Times. It adds that it makes further investment “impossible”.

In the filing, Google called for more transparency about where the Irish network has existing power capacity, as well as being clearer and more open about EirGrid’s projections of data center power usage growth. I think you need to.

Growing Demand for Cloud Computing, Google’s Proposal

Google, which launched its first data center in Ireland in 2012, has proposed a new pricing structure for data center operators who reserve more capacity than they ultimately need or grow to that capacity too slowly. bottom.

“Transmission tariffs can be designed so that consumers who are not seeing increased demand towards maximum reserved capacity will be charged more than consumers who are demonstrating an increase each year.” says.

EirGrid and politicians have previously suggested moving data center development to the west of Ireland (away from Dublin’s constrained areas and closer to renewable energy sources), but Google says this is not a viable solution. I point out that it is not.

“The demand for cloud computing in Dublin is growing. We are unable to provide services.”

Another AWS filing says Ireland has missed opportunities in the past to address supply issues.

“Over the past decade, we have had opportunities to do reinforcement work, prepare the grid for growth and investment, and prepare the grid for more intermittent integration of resources,” he said.

Both the Social Democrats and the People Before Profit parties have been calling for a nationwide moratorium on future data center projects for the past 12 months. The PBP bill was an absolute ban on data centers, liquid natural gas plants and new fossil fuel infrastructure.

In Dublin last month, South Dublin County Council (SDCC) voted to block future data center construction in the county as part of a new development plan.

What is the background behind the Irish government’s moratorium on data center development?

Irish Government Behind Data Center Development Moratorium

The Irish government’s achievement of emissions and renewable energy targets is behind this.

According to EirGrid, data center energy usage is projected to increase by 9TWh by 2030, ranging from 23% to 31% of Ireland’s grid supply in 2030. This comes at a time when the government wants to reduce emissions by 60-80% by increasing the share of renewable energy. At the same time, governments want to decarbonise by moving heating and transportation to electricity, further increasing demand on the grid.

According to The Irish Times, EirGrid has agreed to connect an additional 1.8GW of data centers to the grid, with current peak demand of around 5GW, and a further 2GW of applications ready. That’s it.

The Government Statement on the Role of Data Centers in Ireland’s Enterprise Strategy 2018, published in 2018, emphasized the positive role of data centers in the country’s economic performance. However, it will now be “aligned with sectoral emissions caps and renewable energy targets, concerns about continued security of supply, and demand flexibility measures currently needed. In order to secure it, it will be reviewed. “In addition, further tightening of regulations will be considered,” it is reported.

Will it work or will it backfire?

The Irish government imposes a moratorium on data center development, which is in high demand worldwide. It seems that the moratorium continues while receiving a warning from Google. Will this decision work or will it backfire? We will keep an eye on trends.

NTT DATA Co., Ltd. is working to remote/automate equipment inspection work using robots at the data center “NTT Shinagawa TWINS DATA Building” (hereinafter referred to as “Shinagawa Data Center”) operated by the company. announced that it has confirmed that it is possible to reduce the equipment inspection work that was previously done by about 50%.

From April 2023, NTT DATA will proceed with the introduction of robots to data centers nationwide.

Background of robot introduction

NTT DATA explained that the building management industry, including data centers, is facing a serious manpower shortage, and that facility management work, in particular, is facing a shortage of skilled workers, and that there is a need for labor savings and more efficient work implementation.

Among facility management operations, the company believes that inspection work is highly effective in reducing manpower and that remote/automated operations are feasible through the use of digital technology, and has been conducting verification for practical application at its Shinagawa Data Center.

Overview of Robot Introduction and Changing Checking Tasks

In this initiative, a robot automatically patrols a predetermined inspection route, taking pictures of meters, lamps, and facility exterior, and acquiring environmental data such as odors using sensors, thereby replacing the work of measuring meters, checking lamps, and checking for abnormalities in appearance and unusual odors that had previously been performed by humans.

In this method, a single camera or sensor can be used to inspect multiple locations, and there is no need to modify the current equipment in operation, making it cheaper and simpler to achieve remote/automated operation than other methods such as installing IoT cameras and sensors for each inspection target or converting to smart meters.

The robot used in this project is a next-generation avatar robot “ugo Pro” modified for facility inspection work in collaboration with ugo Corporation, a manufacturer of business DX robots.

In order to capture detailed meter readings, the robot is equipped with a 4K camera with higher image quality than the standard model, and multiple devices such as an odor sensor, microphone, and thermo camera can be mounted on the ugo itself to expand its applications depending on the inspection items.

The robot can be operated using only a PC, and its travel route can be set with no code, making it easy for on-site personnel to use the robot. The robot can switch between automatic traveling and remote control, and can be used not only for automatic inspection work, but also for multiple applications, such as work support from a distance.

These features not only allow the robot to handle a variety of inspection items, but also to expand its applications to include remote work support and construction attendance.

By using robots and sensors to remotely/automatically perform inspection work, not only can work hours be reduced, but also the threshold values for determining abnormalities, which used to rely on human senses, can be quantified to enable detection of abnormalities without relying on skilled workers.

In addition, by making it possible to remotely perform tasks that could only be performed onsite, including work support and construction attendance, it is expected to support flexible work styles and secure new workers.

About the future

In the future, NTT DATA aims to expand the scope of automation to include recording and reporting work that currently requires personnel to perform, and to reduce the time required for inspection work by up to 80% by promoting linkage with meter reading systems and abnormality detection AI.

NTT Data will also work to enhance facility management operations, such as advanced abnormality detection and predictive maintenance of facilities, utilizing data acquired by robots and sensors.

Starting in April 2023, the initiative will be rolled out sequentially to 15 data centers nationwide.

Furthermore, based on the knowledge gained from these efforts, the company aims to offer the service commercially as a remote/automated service for facility inspection operations by the end of FY2023.

For commercial provision, ugo will utilize the new robot “ugo mini” developed by making use of the knowledge obtained through joint verification with NTT DATA to develop remote/automation solutions for facility management operations, from consulting for introduction. NTT DATA provide one-stop support from system construction to operation to solve customer problems.

The day of full-scale deployment of robots for facility inspection operations at data centers is eagerly awaited to help resolve the serious labor shortage.

On November 24, 2022, Kyocera Communication Systems Corporation (KCCS) announced that KCCS will begin construction of a zero-emission data center in Ishikari City, Hokkaido, Japan, in December 2022, with the data center scheduled to open in the fall of 2024.

In 2019, KCCS announced plans for a zero-emission data center in Ishikari, Hokkaido, which will operate on 100% renewable energy.

Subsequently, due to a change in the originally planned baseload power supply plan, the power supply configuration and data center design were revised, and now the company has announced the start of construction and opening schedule.

The data center to be constructed will be located in the Ishikari Bay New Port area of Ishikari City, Hokkaido, with a site area of approximately 15,000 square meters, total floor space of approximately 5,300 square meters (at the time of opening), and 400 racks (at the time of opening).

Toward Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050

In Japan, local production and local consumption of renewable energy is an important theme for achieving carbon neutrality (virtually zero greenhouse gas emissions) by 2050, as is the decentralization of data centers in the “Digital Rural City State Concept” being promoted by the government. The introduction of “real renewable energy,” which reduces environmental impact to plus or minus zero through the purchase of environmental values such as non-fossil certificates, is progressing.

To this end, expansion of “direct use of renewable energy” is also needed to further increase the amount of renewable energy introduced.

However, it is not easy to achieve “direct use of renewable energy” in large-scale demand facilities such as data centers, as securing stable renewable energy power and economic efficiency is a challenge.

Ishikari City has been selected as a “Decarbonization Leading Region (1st round)” by the Ministry of the Environment in a publicly solicited project to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

In addition, KCCS has formulated the “Redesigning the Region through Local Production of Renewable Energy and Decarbonization,” a measure aimed at zero carbon, and is aiming for a decarbonized industrial cluster by supplying renewable energy to the data center cluster and surrounding facilities in the Ishikari Bay New Port area.

The zero-emission data center will utilize the abundant renewable energy sources in the region, and a new solar power plant owned by KCCS will be built in the vicinity of the data center to directly utilize those renewable energy sources.

In addition, in order to operate the data center while simultaneously ensuring the “reliability,” “environmental friendliness,” and “economic efficiency” of multiple renewable energy sources, KCCS will build its own power supply and demand control mechanism utilizing storage batteries and AI technology.

KCCS aims to demonstrate the possibility of local production for local consumption of renewable energy through the “data center business operated on 100% renewable energy” in Ishikari City, as well as to contribute to regional revitalization through decentralized data storage in Japan and the creation of jobs for data center technicians and energy-related engineers. The project also aims to contribute to regional revitalization by creating jobs for data center technicians and energy-related engineers.

Expectations are high for the opening of a “zero-emission data center” to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.