Japan plans $140bn AI data centre push with Dell and Jera

Japan is aiming to accelerate data-centre development with a ~$140bn investment scheme leveraging Jera, the world’s largest gas trader, to become the largest AI infrastructure hub outside the US and China. Dell, Jera and UK-based AI infrastructure provider Rhaelm agreed Thursday to develop US$9.71B, 400MW data centre near Tokyo — Asia’s largest AI DC project outside China — financed by Apollo. Jera global CEO Yukio Kani: the trio aims for 3–4GW of AI data centres and gas power within five years; “speed to power” via Jera’s ~35mn tonnes LNG traded annually; he estimates 1GW costs $35–45bn → ~$140bn at that scale. Partners want to standardise DC + power construction to cut time/cost and may build outside Japan. The Chiba (near Tokyo) $15bn DC + power plant targets ~2028 operations and will not be grid-connected. Context: Japan already hosts NTT Data and SoftBank DCs; Blackstone plans US$19.4B Japan push — yet capacity lags (IDCA: US 29.2GW / 43% of global DC power; China 8.5GW; Japan 1.7GW). Government target: US$251.5B public-private cloud/DC investment by 2035 under PM Sanae Takaichi’s strategic-sector plan.