More than 80% of Thailand's cement market has already transitioned to first-generation low-carbon products, but demand from data center projects remains limited. (Photo: SCG)
When SCG supplies concrete to a data center project, the conversation is usually highly technical.
Developers specify compressive strength, durability requirements, permeability limits, and reinforcement standards. Concrete must meet precise engineering requirements to support increasingly dense computing infrastructure and the demanding construction schedules associated with hyperscale facilities. What developers rarely ask about is the carbon footprint of the cement itself.
In Thailand, more than 80% of the cement market has already transitioned to first-generation low-carbon products following a coordinated effort across all seven domestic producers. While manufacturers have spent years developing lower-carbon alternatives and the certification systems needed to verify them, embodied carbon remains largely absent from data center procurement specifications.
“Right now, there is no requirement for low-carbon cement or EPD products in data center projects in Thailand,” Surachai Vangrattanachai, Cement and Mortar Technology Director at SCG Cement and Green Solutions, told RECCESSARY.
The disconnect offers a glimpse into a broader challenge facing the next phase of data center sustainability in Southeast Asia. The industry has made renewable electricity, energy efficiency, and increasingly water consumption central parts of the sustainability discussion. Construction materials have yet to follow the same trajectory.
Unlock the full article to explore three key takeaways:
- Thailand’s cement industry has already done much of the work needed to supply low-carbon cement, but embodied carbon remains largely absent from data center procurement requirements.
- The Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Accord is pushing operators to measure and disclose embodied carbon, but disclosure does not automatically translate into demand for lower-carbon materials.
- Hyperscalers are experimenting with low-carbon concrete procurement in North America, yet Southeast Asia’s data center market remains focused on cost, performance, and construction speed.
