Malaysia data center carbon emissions are around 22 million metric tons annually. It makes Malaysia the second biggest data center carbon emitter in Asia after China, according to a report by Greenpeace.
The report revealed that Malaysia’s data centers consumed up to 8% of its total electricity output. Malaysia data center carbn emissions accounted for 40% of its greenhouse gas emissions.
Malaysia data center carbon emissions are estimated to be around 22 million metric tons annually. It makes Malaysia the second biggest data center carbon emitter in Asia after China, according to a report by Greenpeace.
The report revealed that Malaysia’s data centers consumed up to 8% of its total electricity output and accounted for 40% of its greenhouse gas emissions.
In this article, we examine the data centers in Malaysia and find out what they are doing to reduce their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
Reducing Malaysia Data Center Carbon Emissions
The program offers free carbon emission assessments for data centers and advises reducing energy consumption. It also provides free training courses on green computing, energy-efficient equipment, and environmental sustainability practices.
Malaysia has been actively working towards reducing its carbon footprint by implementing mitigation policies and initiatives. The government plans to phase out coal as an energy source by 2020 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030 under its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The data center industry is one sector that can help contribute to this goal by reducing its carbon footprint. The good news is that there are many ways in which this can be done, including:
- Reducing energy consumption through efficiency improvements
- Using renewable energy sources such as solar power or wind power
- Using green IT solutions
To help achieve this goal, Malaysia has established a Green Data Centre Committee (GDC) under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI).
The GDC’s primary role is to develop a “Green Data Center Framework” for Malaysia that will serve as a reference model for any organization wishing to build green data centers in Malaysia.
Calculating Data Center Carbon Emissions
The carbon emissions for Malaysian data centers are based on the data center’s location, type of power sources, and the amount of electricity consumed.
To determine how much a data center produces carbon emissions, we need to know two things:
- the amount of electricity used by that data center
- and the carbon intensity of that electricity source.
Carbon intensity is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced per unit of energy consumed.
CO2 emitted = Electricity used * Carbon intensity
For example, if an average coal power plant produces 1 tonne of CO2 for every million KWh consumed. Its carbon intensity is 1 tonne / million KWh or 100g / KWh.
Data Centers Consume Lots of Energy
Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country on the Malay Peninsula. It has a population of 31 million and is ranked as the 20th-largest country in the world by size. Kuala Lumpur, the capital city, is home to 1.6 million people.
The country’s climate varies from tropical rainforest to arid desert, depending on the location. Malaysia is one of the few countries in Asia with a tropical climate all year round. Malaysia has temperatures averaging around 28 degrees Celsius (82 Fahrenheit).
The data center industry is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. According to a study commissioned by The Green Grid, the world’s largest association dedicated to developing and deploying green computing solutions, data centers account for more than 2% of total global CO2 emissions.
It is an alarming statistic. Considering that most data centers were not designed with sustainability in mind. Many still operate at inefficient levels due to a lack of awareness or resources.
A new report from the Malaysia Green ICT Initiative (MGI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has found that Malaysia’s data centers are responsible for significant carbon emissions.
The study, “State of Green ICT in Malaysia,” surveyed 32 companies and organizations across the country, including universities, government agencies, and private sector firms. The survey found that the nation’s data center energy consumption is set to increase by about 30 percent over the next five years.
Net-Zero Emissions by 2050
Carbon emissions are a major environmental concern. Now, every business should be aware of it. While some data centers have tried to reduce their carbon footprint, the industry has not yet done enough.
Data center operators may be unaware of their carbon emissions’ true extent or how they can reduce them.
The Energy Commission of Malaysia (ECOM) has launched an initiative called Green ICT. It aaims to help customers reduce their carbon emissions. The program is part of a more comprehensive government initiative called the Malaysian Sustainable Development Plan 2020, which aims to make Malaysia a sustainable country.
Read more: South East Asia Green Data Center is Growing Steadily
The Malaysian government is aiming for a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. Malaysia’s total electricity consumption was about 293 TWh in 2017, with coal accounting for about 80% of power generation.
Malaysia’s overall energy mix is made up of oil and gas (35%), coal (30%), hydroelectricity (18%), nuclear (10%), solar and wind (2%), and others (1%). In 2018, Malaysia’s electricity production was 20 TWh, while 19 TWh was consumed domestically.
The Malaysian government has announced its intention to reduce carbon emissions by 35% from 2005 to 2030. While this is a laudable goal, it will require significant effort from the public and private sectors.
In 2018, the government announced plans to build 10 new solar plants across Malaysia over the next five years. The purpose is to help meet its goal of producing 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2050. The government plans to expand its current solar capacity from 2 gigawatts (GW) by 2020 to at least 10 GW by 2025.
Conclusions
Worldwide, Data Centers are responsible for an incredible 2% of Carbon Emissions. That is the equivalent amount produced by air travel!. Such a large percentage of emissions can only lead us to recognize how even a slight improvement in our carbon footprint can have a tremendous impact.
Achieving Net-Zero Emissions is a long-term goal that will require a long-term approach. To meet this data center challenge, we have set a series of interim carbon reduction goals, each of which will help us achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2025.
I hope this article may contribute to the conversation on Malaysia’s energy situation. Hopefully, some of the ideas and items in this post will be used by someone else to help lower Malaysia’s energy consumption.
I would love it if government officials could read this post and use some of the information to develop a future strategy for more renewable energy.