KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 — Malaysia’s digital future hinges on reliable energy ecosystem and Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) stands ready to play a strategic role in positioning Malaysia as a regional data centre hub by delivering solutions that balance growth with responsibility.
To this end, the utility firm has the potential of delivering up to 5,000MW of data centre demand by 2035, its chief retail officer Datuk Kamal Arifin A. Rahman said.
Currently, TNB has an installed generation capacity of 27,690MW, representing a 51.4 per cent market share, supported by 26,00km of transmission lines and 734,000km of distribution networks.
Its retail arm serves more than 10.4 million customers nationwide, delivering around 138,000GWh of electricity each year.
“As the region’s data centre capacity continues to expand rapidly, especially in Malaysia, the challenge is no longer about choosing between affordability, reliability and sustainability, it is about achieving all three simultaneously,” he said at the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2025 recently.
He said from Green Lane pathways that accelerate data centre connections from 36 months to just 12, to dual-supply reliability frameworks and renewable energy integration, TNB is geared up to position Malaysia as a strong contender in the regional race for sustainable digital infrastructure.
He said this pathway ensures efficient and environmentally responsible power solutions, streamlined onboarding and approval process, and support from the one-stop centre (OSC) for all data centre-related requirements.
“Through initiatives like Green Lane Pathway and OSC, TNB is also strategically positioning Malaysia as a green data centre regional hub,” he said.
“TNB is aligning Malaysia’s energy transition with the digital economy’s rapid growth, especially data centres,” he said, citing the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) and the country’s target of 70 per cent renewable energy (RE) capacity by 2050.
TNB itself has set a target of 10 GW RE by 2030, including 500MW solar and 2.5GW floating solar.
Elaborating on its renewable supply plan, Kamal said it is being done with strategic partnership and collaboration.
Among others, it is collaborating with the Malaysian government to expand the Green Electricity Tariff (GET) programme in the short term and facilitate RE supply models in the longer run.
TNB, he said, has also partnered with Princeton Digital Group (PDC).
“The collaboration between TNB and PDG is mutually beneficial. We were able to energise their operations rapidly under the fast-track Green Lane Pathway initiative, providing large-scale, greener data-centre capacity in Johor.”
PDC, he said, has become a valuable prime partner for TNB.
For instance, he said PDG’s flagship data centre campus in Sedenak with a total capacity of 190 MW is being powered under an electricity supply agreement with TNB, energised rapidly through TNB’s Green Lane support within 12 months period.
PDG plans to expand its investment in Kulai with a 200 MW site by 2027.
