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Malaysia's data centre electricity consumption is projected to rise from approximately 8.5 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2024 to around 68 TWh by 2030, driven by demand from AI infrastructure, according to the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (Awer). Awer president Piarapakaran Subramaniam noted that data centres do not operate at full capacity at all times, and the increase in demand will be progressive.

For instance, a 1,000 megawatt (MW) data centre operating at full capacity for a year would consume about 8.76 TWh, whereas operating at 20% capacity would lead to 1.75 TWh. Additionally, water usage for cooling in a 1,000 MW data centre may range from 40 to 200 million litres per day (MLD), depending on technology. Piarapakaran highlighted that Malaysia's reliance on imported fuels poses risks to energy supply stability.