22/08/2026

SATURDAY | AUG 22, 2026

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Google funds infrastructure for own data centre

Elmina facility to create wider job opportunities PETALING JAYA: Operating Google’s first Malaysian data centre will require far more than server technicians, with engineers, security personnel, maintenance crews and even cafeteria vendors expected to benefit from employment and business opportunities generated by its upcoming Elmina facility. In a recent interview, Siah said over 4,000 workers were typically employed during a data centre’s construction phase, which could last between three and five years. Once fully operational, a Google data centre would ordinarily employ hundreds of people in permanent roles, he said, challenging the perception that such facilities were largely empty buildings requiring little manpower. “There is a misconception that data centres do not create jobs, or that they create very few jobs – that a data centre is an empty building with very few people inside. “But our data centres are not built to be rented out. We have our own products and services, so we need the data centre for ourselves, and this requires a highly specialised workforce,”he told theSun . Siah said the facilities functioned as the “engine room” behind online searches, email, video streaming and digital payments, processing requests from billions of users simultaneously. He added that artificial intelligence required greater computing capacity and expanded the role of data centres beyond storing and retrieving information. He likened conventional data-centre services to a “digital library”, with AI serving as a personal librarian capable of searching for and interpreting information on behalf of users. “You have a personal ‘digital librarian’ who understands your context, where you are and what you are looking for, and is able to go through billions of information sources to produce something that is most relevant to you.” He said a data centre’s operational workforce included server technicians responsible for installing and troubleshooting equipment, network engineers maintaining connectivity and mechanical engineers managing cooling systems. Electrical engineers were also required to ensure a reliable power supply around the clock, while other roles covered procurement, supply chains, clean energy, water management, environmental health and safety, and community affairs. Employment generated by the facility would also extend to workers whose roles were not traditionally associated with data centres. Google facilities generally included cafeterias because they were often located away from major towns and needed to provide meals for their workforce, creating opportunities for local food vendors and kitchen workers. “We need to hire food vendors because our data centres usually have a cafeteria. Given the size of our workforce, it is not reasonable to ask employees to find their own food during lunchtime. “That is another job opportunity.” Siah said Google generally found that each job created within one of its data centres supported nine additional jobs in the surrounding community through contracts and wider business activity. He added that these opportunities included construction and consultancy services, transport, security, waste management, equipment procurement, maintenance and fuel deliveries. “When I say‘supported’, I mean that the existence of the data centre creates business. “It signs contracts with other entities in the country or surrounding area to provide the goods and services it needs. “The additional demand generated through these business contracts creates jobs to fulfil them.” Siah said the economic benefits were intended to continue beyond the construction phase, as Google developed data centres to operate its own services rather than lease space to external operators. – by Faiz Ruzman

o Cost of transmission lines and substation for facility at Elmina Business Park in Selangor will not be passed on to Malaysians

█ BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: Google is making good on its pledge not to pass the infrastructure costs of its Malaysian expansion to surrounding communities, funding the transmission lines and substation required to power its first data centre in the country. Google Asia-Pacific principal for global infrastructure Ken Siah (pic) said the company was financing electricity transmission lines connecting its Selangor facility to the national grid as well as the development of a substation at Elmina Business Park. “We take our philosophy that we will finance our own local infrastructure upgrades very seriously. As far as possible, we do not want the costs to be passed on to the local community or residents,” he told theSun in an interview. Google will also pay the electricity bill for the data centre in full without seeking subsidies and would be subject to Malaysia’s new electricity tariff for data centres. “We pay 100% of our power bill. We do not ask for subsidies. There is a new data-centre

Siah said the Elmina site underwent a water-risk assessment using up to 100 years of historical data.

other major projects on the island. “The development is expected to transform Labuan’s tourism landscape by creating new attractions while generating fresh economic opportunities and spillover benefits for the local community and business sector,” he said. He added that securing government support and providing the relevant ministries and agencies with a clear understanding of the project’s requirements would be crucial to turning the proposal into reality. the local community.” At Elmina, water used for evaporative cooling will be continuously recirculated. Although evaporated water eventually returns to the water cycle, Google will still classify it as consumed when calculating its water-replenishment commitments. “For every drop of freshwater we take, we will replenish that amount plus 20%.” Google’s first water-replenishment initiative in Malaysia is being undertaken with the Global Environment Centre and the Petaling Jaya City Council to restore the lake at Taman Aman, including increasing the flow of freshwater into it. Siah said the volume restored through such projects would be scientifically measured and independently verified. On renewable energy, Google has entered into 21-year power purchase agreements with consortia led by Shizen Energy and TotalEnergies for 50MW of new solar capacity in Malaysia. The agreements support Google’s global target of operating entirely on carbon-free energy around the clock by 2030. “We do not want to use clean energy that is already available. We want clean energy that is new to the grid and would not have been developed without our purchase. “We will continue looking for opportunities to create new clean-energy generation that will ultimately feed into the grid and increase the energy supply available to everyone.”

design stage. “We prefer to be judged by the actual consumption we have recorded,” he said, adding that projected efficiency levels at the design stage do not necessarily reflect conditions once a facility becomes operational. “Some companies publish

tariff in Malaysia that is substantially higher than the other industrial tariffs, and we are paying it. “Beyond that, we are committed to ensuring that any local infrastructure upgrades needed to supply power to our data centre are paid for by us. This may involve transmission lines or substations.” The facility remains under construction following Google’s announcement in 2024 of a US$2 billion (RM8.09 billion) investment in Malaysia. Its site-specific electricity and water consumption will be determined once operations begin.

their power efficiency at the design stage, but when the facility is actually running, it may be much worse. What they claim at the design stage may not be (reflected) by the reality of the situation.” He said Google would publish Elmina’s annual water consumption once the data centre was operating at scale, in line with its disclosure practices for other facilities. According to Siah, the Elmina site underwent a water-risk assessment using up to 100 years of historical data. The assessment

concluded that the facility could use water without placing local water resources under stress. “If the assessment finds a water risk, and the water use of the data centre could create an issue, we will not use water. “We will find other cooling methods. There are many data centres around the world where we have made that decision because it is the responsible thing to do for

Siah said Google assessed whether a location had sufficient power capacity before committing to it. If its requirements risked affecting the surrounding community, the company would either develop additional capacity or select another site. On water consumption, Siah said Google preferred to publish verified operational data instead of estimates produced during the

Labuan seeks 13MP backing for waterfront project LABUAN: Labuan Corporation is seeking the inclusion of the proposed Labuan waterfront development as a key initiative under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) to unlock the duty-free island’s untapped economic potential. Department and the Federal Territories Department on the project and the support required to bring it to fruition.

He told Bernama that the proposed development would cover two strategic locations – the stretch from Lestari Niaga to the former market site, and the Nagalang coastal area. Rithuan said the project was not intended to be a conventional waterfront development but a high-impact economic catalyst complementing

The project is expected to drive future growth and strengthen Labuan’s position as a tourism and business destination. Labuan Corporation CEO Rithuan Ismail led a delegation yesterday to brief officials from the Economy Ministry, the Prime Minister’s