Published: Aug 17, 2026, 20:01 IST | Updated: Aug 17, 2026, 20:01 IST
Malaysia is turning to an unexpected solution to cool its booming AI data centres: palm oil. With nearly 40% of Southeast Asia's planned data centre capacity set to land in Malaysia, the country's water supply is under serious strain, with cooling systems currently using millions of litres a day. Researchers at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board have developed "Sawit EcoTherm," a palm-based liquid that could replace water-intensive cooling entirely.