Jakarta, INTI - The Indonesia Data Center Provider Organization (IDPRO) sees significant growth potential for Indonesia’s data center industry amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI). IDPRO Chairman Hendra Suryakusuma estimates that the country’s total data center capacity, which stood at around 630 megawatts (MW) as of May 2026, could grow to as much as 11 gigawatts (GW) by 2030.
The surge in AI demand is expected to become one of the key drivers of data center industry growth over the coming years. According to Hendra, investment requirements for data center development are also increasing as facilities become larger and more power-intensive.
Currently, building 1 MW of data center capacity requires an estimated investment of around US$10 million. This means a 100 MW data center could require approximately US$1 billion, or around Rp18 trillion, in investment. Hendra noted that this estimate covers core and shell, mechanical, and electrical requirements, but excludes land acquisition and operational costs.
“Developing a 100 MW data center has now become quite common in the industry,” Hendra said at JIExpo Kemayoran in Jakarta on Thursday, September 3, 2026.
He also highlighted how rapidly data center power density has increased. When IDPRO was established in 2016, its members operated an average of around 8 kilowatts (kW) per rack. That figure rose to approximately 16 kW per rack in 2019 and reached 32 kW per rack by 2023.
Today, several IDPRO members are already operating AI servers with power densities of up to 132 kW per rack. Going forward, demand is projected to rise to as much as 620 kW per rack, potentially reaching 1.2 MW per rack as next-generation AI technologies continue to evolve.
AI Drives Demand for Higher Data Center Power Capacity
Hendra said the rapid advancement of AI is significantly increasing the computing power required by data centers. He compared the energy consumption of conventional search with AI-powered applications.
A standard Google Search query involving seven words requires around 0.28 watts, while using ChatGPT requires approximately 3.8 watts. However, generating video through AI prompting can consume more than 5,800 watts.
“This is what is driving the industry to require significantly more power,” Hendra said.
As a result, data centers are becoming not only increasingly power-hungry but also more demanding in terms of cooling infrastructure.
“Cooling systems need to adopt liquid cooling because air cooling is no longer efficient for high-density AI workloads,” Hendra explained.
Energy, Infrastructure, and Talent Remain Key Challenges
Despite the significant investment opportunities, the development of AI-focused data centers also faces several challenges, particularly in energy availability, infrastructure, and human resources.
Hendra said energy reliability is one of the most critical factors in data center development. Indonesia, however, has an opportunity to strengthen its position by leveraging a diverse mix of clean energy resources, including geothermal power.
In terms of location, data center development is currently concentrated mainly in Java and Batam, where energy infrastructure, connectivity, and talent availability are relatively more developed.
Looking ahead, Hendra believes Indonesia has the potential to become a regional data center hub if it can effectively integrate reliable energy, connectivity, digital security, and skilled human resources.
“Indonesia has strong potential to become a hub for Southeast Asia and even the Asia-Pacific region,” he added.
Conclusion
Indonesia’s rapidly growing AI ecosystem is set to drive unprecedented demand for data center capacity and computing power. With national capacity potentially reaching 11 GW by 2030, Indonesia has a significant opportunity to strengthen its position as a regional data center hub. However, realizing this potential will depend on reliable and clean energy, advanced cooling technologies, robust connectivity, digital security, and skilled talent. Addressing these requirements will be critical to building a resilient data center ecosystem capable of supporting the next generation of AI innovation.
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