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Japan plans to invest US$36 billion in the United States as the first tranche of its US$550 billion commitment under the trade agreement struck with former President Donald Trump. The projects aim to strengthen supply chains, boost economic security, and foster growth in key sectors including energy, artificial intelligence (AI), and critical minerals. The largest investment is a US$33 billion natural gas plant in Ohio, led by SoftBank’s SB Energy, expected to generate 9.2 gigawatts—enough to power 7.4 million homes. Another US$2.1 billion will go to a deepwater crude export terminal in Texas, while US$600 million is allocated for a synthetic industrial diamond facility in Georgia, operated by De Beers’ Element Six. Japanese and US officials said the investments, part of a tariff-linked trade deal, are designed to deliver safe returns while expanding US industrial capacity, energy dominance, and strategic infrastructure. Most of the US$550 billion fund will be deployed as loans or loan guarantees rather than direct cash investment. The announcement comes ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s trip to Washington in March and reflects both countries’ focus on energy, AI, and semiconductor priorities.

India’s Yotta Data Services plans to build one of Asia’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) computing hubs using Nvidia’s latest Blackwell Ultra chips, in a project valued at more than US$2 billion (RM7.79 billion). The plan includes a four-year deal worth over US$1 billion, under which Nvidia will set up one of the Asia-Pacific region’s largest DGX Cloud clusters within Yotta’s facilities. The expansion comes as global tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon ramp up AI data centre investments in India, driven by growing demand for generative AI and efforts to strengthen local computing capabilities. The investment also follows tighter US export controls on advanced AI chips, which have reshaped global supply chains and encouraged deeper partnerships in markets such as India. The AI supercluster is expected to go live by August at Yotta’s data centre campus near New Delhi, with additional capacity from its Mumbai facility. Yotta is part of billionaire Niranjan Hiranandani’s real estate group and operates three data centre campuses in Mumbai, Gujarat and near New Delhi.

Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) recently held a briefing on Jan 30 for a Request for Proposal (RFP) to construct five dams in Sarawak, attracting a large turnout of local and international companies, including Gamuda Bhd, Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd, and firms from Japan, China, and South Korea. The five dams, collectively called the Cascading Power Sources (CPS), will be built in the Tutoh, Belaga, Danum, Balui, and Gaat basins, some bordering Kalimantan. SEB issued the RFP on Jan 17, and the registration deadline is end-February, with RFP submissions due by end-August 2026 — giving bidders six months to prepare. The dams are targeted to begin commercial operation around 2034–2035. The CPS project aims to maximise hydropower potential by developing multiple plants within each river basin, improving efficiency and boosting renewable energy output. Total capacity will range from 50–70 MW for Gaat CPS up to 700–800 MW for Balui CPS. Winning bidders will need to prepare detailed financial models assessing project viability, including projected energy generation, costs, tariffs, financing, and incentives. Preference will be given to companies with a proven track record in hydropower or cascading projects. Contract terms and construction models — whether Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) or Build-Lease-Transfer (BLT) — are still unspecified. Shortlisted firms will enter a joint development agreement with SEB’s unit SEB Power Sdn Bhd, followed by a power purchase agreement with state-controlled Syarikat SESCO Bhd. SEB aims to achieve 15 GW of installed capacity by 2035, supporting both local demand and exports to regional markets under initiatives like the ASEAN Power Grid. Renewable sources such as CPS, solar, and small hydro are central to this plan. Currently, SEB operates three main hydropower plants — Bakun (2,520 MW), Murum (944 MW), and Batang Ai (94 MW) — and is completing the Baleh project (1,285 MW). It also runs the 842 MW Tanjung Kidurong Combined Cycle Power Plant. SEB has been exporting small amounts of power (200 MW) to Indonesia and plans to export 1 GW to Singapore by 2032 via an undersea cable, which will be developed by a Malaysian–Singaporean consortium. Financially, SEB reported RM1.34 billion after-tax profit on RM7.3 billion revenue in FY2024, with total assets of RM43.47 billion and liabilities of RM49.05 billion. Its largest customer is the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), whose electricity demand has grown from 880 MW in 2013 to 3,700 MW in 2025.