JERA teams up with Dell, RHAELM on AI infrastructure development in Japan

TOKYO, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Japan's biggest power generator JERA will partner with Dell Technologies DELL.N and UK-based AI infrastructure developer RHAELM to accelerate the development of AI infrastructure in Japan, the three companies said on Thursday.

They signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a standardised framework for building AI infrastructure at a national scale in Japan, starting with a $15 billion hyperscale data centre in Chiba.

The model will be applied first to a project in Chiba, where Apollo Global Management plans to serve as a strategic investment and financial partner for RHAELM, they said in a statement.

The companies aim to create a standardised, repeatable and scalable model from the outset, reducing the lengthy lead times and complexity involved in developing each project independently.

They aim to establish the model first in Japan and explore opportunities to apply it in other global markets.

In Chiba, JERA will make available land adjacent to its Chiba power station, while RHAELM will develop, construct, operate and finance a 400-megawatt-class hyperscale AI data centre.

The companies aim to begin operating the new data centre in phases in 2028 and reach the full 400 MW capacity in 2029, a JERA official said.

JERA will supply 400 MW of power capacity under a 15- to 25-year agreement, while Dell will provide standardised, rack-scale AI infrastructure.