JERA announced plans to build a power plant-integrated data center at the Chiba Thermal Power Station in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Together with Dell Technologies and the UK-based Realm, it plans to invest approximately ¥2.3 trillion, with operations targeted to begin around 2028.
JERA announced that it will build an AI data center at the Chiba Thermal Power Station in Chiba City, while Dell Technologies and Realm signed an agreement to jointly promote data center development in Japan. The data center is planned with power capacity of approximately 400,000 kW, putting it among the largest of its kind in Japan. Operations are targeted to begin around 2028.
The 3 companies will procure electricity directly from the power station, avoiding the need to develop transmission infrastructure, and jointly establish standard specifications covering everything from securing energy to equipment procurement and operations. Its co-location within the power station grounds will enable it to serve large-scale demand, with expansion into overseas markets, including Asia and Europe, also under consideration. US investment firm Apollo Global Management is expected to participate in the financing, and discussions are under way on eventually expanding the model to other thermal power stations.
Against a backdrop of growing demand for AI data centers, power plant-integrated data centers are also being introduced in Japan, and inquiries from other companies in the Tokyo metropolitan area are increasing. The Chiba power station is an LNG-fired facility, and its use to supply data center power is envisioned based on its stable 24-hour operations.
The progress of the large-scale project has also highlighted challenges, including delays in connecting data centers to the power grid and the need to build new transmission infrastructure. Nevertheless, the expansion of such facilities in Japan is expected to continue.