Bangkok data centre cited for unlawful fuel storage
About 200,000 litres of fuel stockpiled without permission have been removed from a data centre on Rama IX Road in Bangkok, with authorities saying they will pursue charges under Fuel Control Act.
Bangkok authorities have seized approximately 200,000 litres of unlicensed diesel fuel from a data centre located in the Suan Luang area, near Rama IX Road. The fuel, stored for use in emergency power generators, had been accumulating without the necessary permits, leading to complaints from residents and business owners about a pervasive fuel odor.
Inspectors from the Ministry of Energy discovered that the facility, named Damac Digital BKK02, had been storing over 200,000 litres of diesel, exceeding the permitted capacity for emergency generators. The data centre, a joint venture between the UAE-based Damac Group and the IT services provider Proen Corp, had failed to obtain the required license under the Fuel Control Act.
Following the inspection, the fuel was removed from the site, and the ministry's Department of Energy Business will file formal charges under the Fuel Control Act. Penalties for violations could include up to two years in prison and a fine of 200,000 baht. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has announced that no new data centre licenses will be issued in the capital, citing concerns about the environmental and social impacts of these facilities.
The ministry and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have a policy against fuel storage in urban residential areas, and the data centre committee plans to develop zoning guidelines and review safety measures at future meetings.
Written by urgent.news from Bangkok Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
