Data Centers at a Crossroads: Energy, Cooling, and Policy Challenges

On 12 May 2026, the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) and the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) co-hosted a webinar bringing together international experts to address one of the most pressing challenges at the intersection of digital infrastructure and sustainability: the growing energy and cooling demands of data centres across Southeast Asia. 

 

Moderated by Souhir Al-Hammami (IIR), the session gathered researchers, policy experts, and industry practitioners for an in-depth panel discussion followed by an open Q&A, exploring both the scale of the challenge and the solutions available today.  

Key Themes

Energy demand uncertainty 

As data centres multiply across Southeast Asia, accurately forecasting their electricity demand has become increasingly complex. The webinar opened with an exploration of the modelling challenges involved, highlighting how rapid infrastructure growth, evolving workloads, and the rise of AI-driven computing make it difficult to anticipate future energy needs and why getting these projections right is critical for regional energy planning. 

 

EU policy drivers and performance indicators 

Europe has emerged as a global reference point for sustainable data centre regulation. The session examined how EU policy frameworks, including energy efficiency directives and sustainability reporting standards, are shaping the design and operation of data centres, and how these indicators could inform policy development in Southeast Asia and beyond. 

 

Sustainable cooling technologies 

Cooling systems account for a significant share of a data centre's total energy consumption. The webinar presented state-of-the-art cooling technologies and best practices available today, from advanced heat exchangers to waste heat recovery solutions, demonstrating that smarter cooling is one of the most impactful levers for reducing the sector's environmental footprint. 

 

Regional collaboration and knowledge exchange 

The webinar reinforced the value of the IIR - ACE partnership as a platform for ongoing technical and policy dialogue. By bringing together expertise from academia, intergovernmental organisations, and regional energy bodies, the session demonstrated how cross-sector collaboration can accelerate the transition to more sustainable cooling practices across Southeast Asia. 

 

Speakers

• Yudiandra Yuwono, Senior Energy System Advisor, ASEAN Centre for Energy 
• Analaura Ransdale, Public Affairs, Danfoss Climate Solutions 
• Prof. Shuangquan Shao, Huazhong University of Science and Technology 
• Souhir Al-Hammami, Director of Scientific and Technical Information, International Institute of Refrigeration 

 

The IIR and ACE thank all speakers and participants for their contributions to this important discussion. Events like this are essential to accelerating knowledge exchange and advancing sustainable cooling solutions across the region.