2 September 2024, Singapore and Tokyo, Japan – Empyrion Digital, a next-generation digital infrastructure platform under Seraya Partners, 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 our 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 our 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[1] and its co-location market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.2% from 2023 to 2028[2], reflecting significant expansion driven by increased demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G deployments, cloud services, fintech and e-commerce.

AI-ready and green by design 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 21,000 square metres. 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.

Mr. Mark Fong, CEO of Empyrion Digital said: "Entering the Japan market is a significant milestone for Empyrion Digital. Japan is a key market for digital innovation in Asia, and we are excited to contribute to its growth with JP1 in Tokyo. Our expansion into Japan signifies our commitment to providing world-class, future ready digital infrastructure that meets the diverse needs of our hyperscale and enterprise customers while continually improving sustainability and innovation."

Mr. Fong added, “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.”

Mr. James Chern, Managing Partner and CIO of Seraya Partners commented: “As the fourth largest economy in the world, Japan continues to be an important destination for infrastructure investments. Seraya is excited to 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.

In 2021, Empyrion Digital was launched by Seraya Partners, a leading Asia infrastructure fund. The platform 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.

[1] Source: CBRE. Based on historical IT Capacity as of Q4 2023

[2]  Source: Structure Research