Empyrion Digital to Develop AI-Ready Data Centre in Tokyo

Empyrion Digital, a next-generation digital infrastructure platform, today announced it has signed a binding agreement with one of Japan’s largest diversified financial services groups, to develop a 25MW AI-ready data centre (JP1) in Tokyo.

This strategic move marks Empyrion Digital’s maiden entry into Japan and underscores its focus to expand its presence in core Asia markets where the demand for digital infrastructure is robust, yet the availability of land and power are constrained.

By strategically leveraging its local partner’s network in Japan, the JP1 Tokyo data centre will be built in a network-dense location that meets the stringent requirements of Empyrion’s clients in terms of location, power requirements and a rich ecosystem of cloud and connectivity players.

Japan is one of the world’s largest Tier 1 data centre markets. Within Japan, Tokyo is the primary hub for data centre activities with current capacity of 904 MW and its co-location market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.2% from 2023 to 2028, reflecting significant expansion driven by increased demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G deployments, cloud services, fintech and e-commerce.

Green AI-Ready Facility

Strategically located with excellent fibre connectivity within 5km from Otemachi, the Internet Exchange and Tokyo CBD, the JP1 Tokyo data centre will be a 5-storey building that spans around 21,000 sq. m.

With power secured, JP1 Tokyo is designed to be AI-ready to support Generative AI and High Performance Computing workloads. The Tier III, carrier neutral facility will also be equipped with advanced cooling technologies to improve energy and water usage efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

Empyrion Digital’s CEO Mark Fong said that entering the Japan market is a significant milestone the company as Japan is a key market for digital innovation in Asia, and they were excited to contribute to its growth with JP1 in Tokyo.

He said that expansion into Japan signifies their commitment to providing world-class, future ready digital infrastructure that meets the diverse needs of Empyrion’s hyper-scale and enterprise customers while continually improving sustainability and innovation.

“Our goal is to create the most competitive digital infrastructure platform in Asia to serve the growing needs of our customers. With a proven track record of owning and operating an award-winning data centre in Singapore and the construction of our Korea KR1 data centre in Gangnam, Seoul, well underway, we are well-positioned to build on this Tokyo investment and capitalize on future opportunities in Tokyo and Osaka,” he added.

James Chern, Managing Partner and CIO of Asia’s leading infrastructure Fund Seraya Partners, which launched Empyrion Digital in 2021, said that as the fourth largest economy in the world, Japan continues to be an important destination for infrastructure investments. Seraya will support Empyrion in securing trophy assets like JP1 Tokyo, demonstrating our team’s abilities in originating and developing these highly differentiated projects.

Construction for the JP1 Tokyo data centre is expected to commence in 2025 and the data centre is targeted to be operational by late 2027. Empyrion Digital currently operates a 7.7 MW data centre in Singapore and is constructing a 29.4 MW data centre in Seoul, South Korea, with more markets under development.