The first data center in Ishikari, Hokkaido, to operate on 100% renewable energy has been completed, and GMO Internet, Tokyu Land Corporation and Broadband Tower have opened a new facility operated under a DC-in-DC model. The owner equips the facility and leases it to operators, while direct connectivity using IOWN is another key feature.
The Ishikari Renewable Energy Data Center No. 1, a 100%-renewable-energy data center jointly built by 3 companies in Ishikari, Hokkaido, opened on 1 August 2026. The new facility adopts a DC-in-DC operating model, leasing 6 data halls to multiple data center operators. The owner, Tokyu Land Corporation, provides the building, large-scale equipment and renewable electricity. Occupying companies only need to install equipment inside their data halls.
Table 1 lists other Ishikari facilities operating on 100% renewable energy: Sakura Internet's Ishikari Data Center and KCCS's Zero Emission Data Center Ishikari (ZED Ishikari). The new No. 1 facility adds another operating model for the era of AI and decarbonization. Sakura's data center is being expanded as a GPU platform for generative AI, while ZED Ishikari is being used as an in-house AI development platform.
For communications, GMO Internet, Tokyu Land Corporation and Broadband Tower use NTT East's IOWN APN to connect the facility directly to Otemachi, Tokyo. Combining local resources with advanced communications technology is intended to support operation of an AI platform that combines environmental performance, business continuity and practical performance.
As demand for generative AI expands, the Ishikari model could become a flagship example of GX promotion by integrating renewable energy resources with communications infrastructure. Developments among renewable-energy data centers in the Ishikari area are attracting attention as an example of closer integration between Japan's energy and communications infrastructure.