CapitaLand Investment to set up its first data centre in Japan

CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI), a leading global real asset manager, has acquired a freehold land parcel in Osaka to develop its first data centre in Japan which will entail a total investment of more than US$700 million (S$944.3 million). A 50-MW power capacity has also been secured for the project.

The acquisition is a testament to CLI’s strong global multi-asset class network and deal-sourcing capability. With this latest acquisition, CLI has added 23 data centres to its global portfolio since 2021. CapitaLand Group has 27 data centres across Asia and Europe with about 800 MW of power and around S$6 billion of assets under management on a completed basis.

Manohar Khiatani, Senior Executive Director of CLI, who oversees the Group’s data centre business, said: “CLI’s data centre portfolio has expanded significantly over the last few years and we are delighted to expand our footprint to Japan. The acquisition is not only aligned with CLI’s digitalisation investment theme, but also enhances CLI’s geographical spread, deepening its presence in Japan, one of CLI’s focus markets. CLI’s strong balance sheet gives us the distinct advantage to invest strategically in quality assets including data centres for our future private funds. Japan is a Tier 1 data centre market poised for tremendous growth. It is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 10%, from US$23.8 billion in 2023 to US$38.7 billion in 2028. It is also Asia Pacific’s largest data centre market outside of China with a 1.4 GW capacity, with both Tokyo and Osaka being key data centre hubs in the region.  Major cloud service providers such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Oracle already have a presence in Osaka. Our acquisition is hence well-positioned to capture demand in Osaka’s established data centre cluster.”

Michelle Lee, Managing Director, Private Funds (Data Centre) of CLI, said: “With the rapid adoption of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) globally and especially in Asia, data centre demand is expected to enjoy double-digit growth and outstrip new supply. There is strong institutional interest in data centre investments, with 97% of investors planning to increase their overall investment in data centres. Leveraging CLI’s global network and on-ground expertise, we have secured this off-market opportunity in Osaka with 50 MW of power. Since October 2020, CLI has successfully raised about US$600 million (S$810 million) for our data centre development funds in Asia. CLI continues to develop new data centre fund products. We will also build on our investment momentum and identify compelling investment pipeline opportunities for our private fund investors.”

The data centre in Osaka will be AI-ready and feature state-of-the-art design with sustainability at its core. It will be designed, built, and certified in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or an equivalent Japanese green-certification standard. The facility will integrate energy-saving solutions such as advanced cooling technologies and adopt industry best practices in temperature management to enhance energy and water usage efficiency. Furthermore, the data centre will utilise products with zero ozone depletion potential or with global warming potential (GWP) of less than 100 to minimise environmental impact.