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24/7 CFE Journey Case Study Series

AirTrunk: Catalysing 24/7 CFE through accelerating technologies, partnering with industry and tailoring solutions across APAC.

29 July 2025, 16:08 UTC | 4 min read

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As digital transformation accelerates across Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ), hyperscale data centre operator AirTrunk represents a strong voice – providing a regional perspective in this global partnership.

AirTrunk is pioneering the transition to 24/7 clean electricity in a region where renewable procurement remains fragmented and variable compared to Europe and North America.

The industry challenge

Hyperscale data centres are at the heart of the digital economy, enabling cloud, AI, and critical online services. Especially in the Asia Pacific region, where clean energy markets are still developing and grid decarbonisation must overcome geographical diversity and a multitude of regulatory frameworks, a key challenge remains - how do we grow sustainably?

AirTrunk’s sustainability journey

  1. 2022

  2. 2023

  3. 2024

2022

Announced Net Zero by 2030 target. 

2023

Published a 24/7 clean energy white paper and signed its first hourly matching renewable contract in Hong Kong. 

2024

Added new renewable energy agreements, joined the RE100 initiative, and became a Founding Partner of the 24/7 Carbon-Free Coalition. 

These milestones reflect a strategy that goes beyond traditional annual volume matching of renewables. Instead, AirTrunk is working to progress towards 24/7 carbon-free electricity in APJ, leveraging knowledge and experience while partnering with leading global corporations.

Managing Cost and Adopting Technology to enable 24/7 CFE

 In its 2023 white paper, Powering a Clean Energy Future, AirTrunk explores the dual challenge of managing cost and adopting technology to enable 24/7 carbon-free electricity (CFE) in Asia Pacific. 

The paper notes that narrowing the cost gap of clean energy 24 hours a day will be key to driving wide adoption among hyperscale data centre operators and other large energy consumers in the region. There are six actions required to reduce the cost to unlock the 24/7 clean energy potential that are particularly relevant across APJ markets.

1. Increase and strengthen grid interconnection between APJ markets
 
2. Accelerate ‘green molecules’ and other new firming and storage technologies
 
3. Diversify the portfolio with local firming solutions
 
4. Leverage on-site infrastructure to support local grids and power markets

5. Shift non-latency-sensitive loads to lower cost markets

6. Start the discussion to achieve 24/7 clean energy in a cost-optimal way
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Technology enablers:

Advanced technologies are central to AirTrunk’s 24/7 CFE strategy. Key enablers include:

  • Granular data and digital tools: Sophisticated tracking platforms are essential to measure real-time energy usage and match it with clean electricity, helping quantify the carbon impact more precisely.
  • Energy storage and flexibility: While still nascent in some APJ markets, batteries, demand-response, and load-shifting technologies will play a growing role in smoothing mismatches between supply and demand.
  • Grid intelligence: Collaborating with utilities to gain greater visibility of carbon intensity and clean energy availability on the grid supports more accurate hourly matching.
  • Scalable innovation: The paper calls on corporates, tech providers, and governments to co-invest in replicable, modular solutions that reduce costs and accelerate deployment across diverse markets.

Together, cost transparency and tech innovation form the foundation of AirTrunk’s approach—one focused on long-term, scalable impact.

 

Pioneering projects and partnerships

In November 2022, AirTrunk, in partnership with CLP power in Hong Kong, pioneered hourly matching of renewable generation to data centre consumption, powered by landfill gas from the West New Territories (WENT) site – a first-of-its-kind initiative in Asia Pacific. This is the territory’s largest site-specific Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) procurement, supporting Microsoft’s data centre electricity needs.

This project showcases how innovation and partnership allows for the possibility of 24/7 CFE despite limited CFE resources and physical space.

AirTrunk has since expanded its renewables partnership with CLP Power in April 2024 in another REC agreement, this time the renewable generation coming from 200+MW of aggregated installed capacity of local solar sites across 17,000 locations in Hong Kong’s New Territories. Microsoft was once again a key partner in the project.

In Malaysia AirTrunk is balancing the energy-water nexus for optimal resource efficiency. By partnering with local utility Johor Special Water on the use of treated effluent to produce recycled water for cooling, AirTrunk is conserving potable water and aligning with circular economy principles. A sizeable initiative, the recycled water scheme will allow AirTrunk to utilise recycled water, supporting the deployment of innovative liquid cooling systems that enable a low design Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) to realise energy savings of up to 23%.

Also in Malaysia, AirTrunk signed the first data centre renewable Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) under the country’s Corporate Green Power Programme, sourcing clean energy from a new ~30 MW solar farm. AirTrunk also announced one of the largest onsite solar deployments for a data centre in Southeast Asia at JHB1 in Johor, Malaysia and is deploying a rooftop solar system at its SYD1 campus in Sydney, Australia.

A landmark partnership with Google is also driving the development of a new 25 MW solar farm, adding fresh renewable capacity to the Australian grid.

Industry collaboration is key

As a founding partner of the Climate Group’s 24/7 Carbon-Free Coalition, AirTrunk is helping to shape global best practices and promote the progression of 24/7 CFE across the region. Its progress to date on cutting carbon emissions rests on the partnerships it has forged.

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"Collaboration will be essential to drive the adoption of 24/7 carbon-free electricity on grids everywhere. It’s important to create ecosystems across industries and geographies to enable the energy transition” 

Katherine Tjandra, AirTrunk’s Energy Transition Director

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Keeping tabs on progress

Through renewable procurement efforts, alongside those of AirTrunk’s customers, 74% of the electricity consumed at AirTrunk data centres in FY24 was matched with renewable energy.

This figure is set to rise as new agreements come online.

As one of the largest issuers of sustainable financing in the global data centre industryAirTrunk is also driving accountability through its Sustainability Linked Loan (SLL) performance indicators - linked to carbon emissions, energy and water efficiency, and gender diversity as well as pay equity. Having raised over A$9 billion in ESG-linked financing, AirTrunk’s debt platforms are now 100% ESG-linked, and as the company continues to grow, so too will its positive impact.

AirTrunk is encouraging industry peers embarking on the 24/7 CFE journey to set ambitious targets, invest in understanding local markets, build strong partnerships, and embrace innovation, always prioritising progress over perfection.

 

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