Dell, Apollo and Jera plan $140 billion AI data center push of up to 4GW in Japan and Asia

The companies are seeking faster development by linking electricity generation directly with computing facilities, Jera Global Chief Executive Yukio Kani said. “The keyword is speed to power. If you see Asia outside China, Japan is a major data centre market,” Kani said. He added that Jera’s annual LNG trading volume of 35 million tonnes could support power plants serving computing facilities for planned sites. The proposed Tokyo-area development would operate independently from Japan’s national electricity network.

Apollo will finance the initial $15 billion facility, while Dell and Jera will contribute technology and energy infrastructure capabilities. The estimated cost of $35 billion to $45 billion for each gigawatt places the potential program near $140 billion in investment. The partners also intend to standardize construction methods for computing facilities and electricity infrastructure. That approach could allow projects to be replicated elsewhere, with the companies considering additional developments beyond Japan.

The planned capacity would give the partnership a substantial presence in Japan’s expanding market for electricity-intensive artificial intelligence services. However, the proposed scale depends on delivering both generation assets and computing facilities within five years. The facility near Tokyo is expected to become one of Asia’s largest artificial intelligence computing projects outside China when operations begin. Its independent electricity supply could reduce reliance on the existing grid, although the partners have not provided details about generation capacity. The partners have not limited their ambitions to Japan, saying facilities and power projects could be developed elsewhere across Asia.

Japan already hosts major operators including NTT Data and SoftBank, while Blackstone has announced a separate $30 billion expansion program in the coming years. Despite those investments, Japan remains well behind the United States and China in electricity use associated with installed computing facilities. According to the International Data Center Authority, U.S. data centers consume 29.2 gigawatts of electricity, representing 43% of global data center consumption. China accounts for 8.5 gigawatts, while Japan consumes only 1.7 gigawatts, equivalent to approximately 12.5% and 2.5%, respectively.

Japan’s figure could rise as the government seeks ¥32.7 trillion, equivalent to $206 billion, in public and private investment through 2035. This investment forms part of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s plan to support strategically important sectors. The program includes cloud computing and data center infrastructure among areas designated for strategic investment through 2035. These planned investments give Japan a larger role in the regional expansion of AI computing infrastructure and electricity supply.