Sets the Standards of Sustainable Data Centers in Indonesia: Data Center Platform Takes Bold Steps to Reduce Carbon Footprint and Enhance Energy Efficiency

(Jakarta, 5 June 2023) PT Ekagrata Data Gemilang (“EDGE DC”), a Digital Edge company focused on providing low latency connectivity services to support the growing digital economy in Southeast Asia, has set new standards in sustainable data center design in Indonesia.

In an effort to reduce carbon footprint and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, EDGE DC has announced that its EDGE1 facility in downtown Jakarta is now utilizing 100% Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) from PLN, making it the first fully operating data center in downtown Jakarta to do so. The company also announced that its new data center, EDGE2, will be the first facility in Indonesia to deploy innovative new cooling technology from Nortek, which will make it one of the most efficient data centers in the market when it comes online at the end of this year.

Last year EDGE DC announced plans to build a new 23 MW data center, known as EDGE2, which is expected to be the largest facility in downtown Jakarta and will cater to growing demand from local and international cloud and network service providers. Aligned with the company’s ESG agenda the new data center is designed to be highly energy and water efficient, leveraging Nortek’s StatePoint® liquid cooling technology to achieve an ambitious annualized design PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) of 1.27, against a global average of 1.55. [1]

Nortek’s StatePoint technology, a patented innovation by Nortek, provides a new paradigm in cooling for the data center environment. The breakthrough membrane exchanger technology enables evaporative cooling through a microporous membrane, providing a significant reduction in annual power and water consumption over existing technologies. EDGE2 is also on track to achieve LEED Gold certification, the highest international standard for green buildings, and is expected to be Ready-for-Service by the end of 2023.

Jay Park, Chief Development Officer at Digital Edge said, “Sustainability is ingrained in Digital Edge’s business, which is why we design all our new build data centers using the latest technology that will enable us to better manage our carbon footprint. Earlier this year we successfully deployed StatePoint liquid cooling at our new data center in the Philippines, a country with a similarly hot and humid climate to Indonesia. We’re delighted to now be pioneering this technology in Jakarta as part of our mission to bridge the digital divide and bring world class digital infrastructure to Southeast Asia”.

“Representing a radical step-change in reduced power and energy usage, our StatePoint® technology sets the bar for sustainability in data center cooling and simultaneously lowers operational costs. As a Digital Edge company, EDGE DC are champions of building responsible digital ecosystems and together we’re partnering to build more cost effective, environmentally responsible solutions for data center cooling.” says Dick Pope, Vice President and General Manager Nortek Data Center Cooling. 

Sustainability Roadmap in EDGE DC

EDGE DC continues to make progress towards its sustainability goals by deploying other ESG initiatives at its existing EDGE1 data center. In May last year, the company became the first data center in Jakarta to utilize sustainable energy from a REC. One year later, it has confirmed the facility has now secured a 100% REC from PLN, meaning it is now fully supporting renewable energy sources in line with the Government’s target to achieve 23% renewables in the electricity mix by 2025. [2]  EDGE DC has also formed a partnership with Waste4Change in September 2022, a local waste organization, to reuse and recycle waste from the data center, ensuring none goes to landfill.

As of April 2023, PLN UID Jakarta Raya has supplied over 72,000 REC units of renewable energy as part of its commitment to support the government’s Net Zero Emission 2060 program. Doddy B. Pangaribuan, General Manager of PLN Unit Induk Distribusi Jakarta Raya said, “The use of green energy by technology-based businesses, especially data centers, further demonstrates the importance of prioritizing environmental sustainability. We are pleased to support EDGE DC once again as it continues to pioneer renewable energy data centers in Jakarta”.

Stephanus Oscar, Chief Executive Officer of EDGE DC, said, ‘We want to raise the bar in terms of sustainable data center design and operations across Indonesia. We are not afraid to try new ways of working to achieve our ESG goals; from becoming the first operating facility in Jakarta to utilize 100% Renewable Energy Certificate to being the first in bringing new cooling technology to the market. Key to our success is finding the right partners across the supply chain who share our commitment to sustainability, and we are grateful to our partners PLN, Nortek and Waste4Change for supporting us on our ESG journey to date”.

[1] 2022 Uptime Institute Global Data Center Survey

[2] Executive summary – Enhancing Indonesia’s Power System – Analysis – IEA