Thailand Plans 60% Clean-Energy Rule for Data Centres

Data centres in Thailand would be required to source at least 60% of their electricity from clean energy under proposed minimum standards that the government aims to issue within one month.

The National Data Centre Business Policy Committee agreed at its first meeting on Friday to establish four subcommittees covering economic benefits, infrastructure, building and location safety, and environmental standards. Government agencies were ordered to consolidate industry data within one week.

Energy Minister Akanat Promphan said data centres would receive a separate electricity tariff to prevent their heavy consumption from raising household bills. Operators will also face grid-connection requirements and safety standards for backup batteries, generators and diesel storage.

The regulatory push follows controversy over the EDGNEX BKK01 data centre near Rama IX, where authorities found about 200,000 litres of diesel stored without a permit after residents complained of a strong fuel odour. Petroleum-related pollutants were subsequently detected in nearby drains. The facility has not received an occupancy certificate, and authorities are still investigating the source of the smell.

The case exposed gaps in zoning, building-control and environmental laws, including the absence of a clear legal definition for data centres. Some projects have sought approval as warehouses or used other inappropriate permits. The government will review requirements covering water use, renewable energy, data protection and cybersecurity, although officials said environmental impact assessments may not initially be mandatory.

Bangkok estimates that the capital has about 30–40 data centres, mostly older facilities operated internally by private companies. Six large standalone projects have sought approval since 2021–2022. Three were approved, while consideration of the other three has been suspended pending new safety and resource-use standards. No suspension orders have been issued against the approved facilities.

Nationwide, the National Economic and Social Development Council counts 42 commercially operating data centres. The national and Bangkok figures are not directly comparable because authorities use different classifications, highlighting the fragmented data that the committee has ordered agencies to consolidate.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand should not serve merely as a location for data centres. Future investment should generate domestic value through technology transfers, Thai workforce development and related investment in AI and cloud services.

Anutin said the committee would define the legal status of data centres and establish green data centre, data-protection and cybersecurity standards. The government’s longer-term objective is to develop Thailand as a regional digital and innovation hub while controlling the sector’s heavy demand for electricity, water, land and public utilities.

He also said applications from data centres for about 20,000 megawatts of electricity capacity could include speculative requests intended to reserve capacity for commercial purposes.

The proposals have not yet become law. Existing rules governing building use, business registration and fuel storage will continue to apply while the new framework is drafted.

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根据政府计划在一个月内发布的最低标准，泰国的数据中心必须至少 60% 的电力来自清洁能源。

国家数据中心商业政策委员会在周五的首次会议上同意成立四个小组委员会，分别负责经济效益、基础设施、建筑和选址安全以及环境标准。政府机构被责令在一周内整合行业数据。

能源部长阿卡纳特·普罗姆潘表示，数据中心将实行单独的电价，以防止其高耗电推高居民用电。运营商还将面临并网要求以及备用电池、发电机和柴油储能设备的安全标准。

此次监管力度加大源于位于拉玛九路附近的EDGNEX BKK01数据中心引发的争议。此前，居民投诉该数据中心散发出浓烈的燃油气味，当局随后发现约20万升柴油未经许可储存。附近排水沟中也检测到了石油相关污染物。该数据中心尚未获得入住许可证，当局仍在调查异味来源。

该案例暴露了分区规划、建筑管制和环境法律方面的漏洞，包括缺乏对数据中心的明确法律定义。一些项目以仓库的名义申请审批，或使用了其他不合适的许可证。政府将审查有关用水、可再生能源、数据保护和网络安全的要求，但官员表示，环境影响评估最初可能不会是强制性的。

曼谷方面估计，该市约有30至40个数据中心，其中大部分是私营公司内部运营的老旧设施。自2021年至2022年以来，已有六个大型独立项目申请审批。其中三个项目获得批准，其余三个项目的审批则因需制定新的安全和资源使用标准而被暂停。目前尚未对已获批准的设施发出任何暂停令。

据国家经济和社会发展委员会统计，全国共有42个商业运营的数据中心。由于各机构采用不同的分类标准，全国数据与曼谷的数据无法直接比较，这凸显了数据分散的问题，委员会已责成各机构整合这些数据。

阿努廷·查恩维拉库尔总理表示，泰国不应仅仅成为数据中心的所在地。未来的投资应通过技术转让、泰国劳动力发展以及对人工智能和云计算服务的相关投资，创造国内价值。

阿努廷表示，该委员会将明确数据中心的法律地位，并制定绿色数据中心、数据保护和网络安全标准。政府的长期目标是将泰国发展成为区域数字和创新中心，同时控制该行业对电力、水、土地和公共事业的巨大需求。

他还表示，数据中心申请的约 20,000 兆瓦电力容量可能包括投机性申请，旨在为商业目的预留容量。

这些提案尚未成为法律。在新的法律框架制定完成之前，现行的有关建筑物使用、企业登记和燃料储存的规定将继续有效。

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