JERA Co., Inc., Japan's largest power generator; Dell Technologies, a global technology leader; and RHAELM Holdings Ltd., a sovereign AI infrastructure developer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on October 1, 2026, to develop a standardized framework for building AI infrastructure at a national scale in Japan.

The first project under the model is planned for Chiba, where Apollo Global Management Inc. intends to serve as a strategic investment and financing partner for RHAELM.

Standardizing AI Infrastructure Development in Japan

The collaboration brings together highly reliable power generation, AI computing technology, and infrastructure development expertise. Its stated goal is to address one of the key constraints on rapid deployment of AI computing capacity across Japan: the need to design and integrate power generation, electrical infrastructure, cooling, and AI compute on a project-by-project basis.

The companies will work to create a standardized, repeatable, and scalable model from the outset, reducing the lengthy lead time and complexity involved in developing each project independently. The parties intend to establish the model first in Japan and, over time, explore opportunities to apply it in other markets.

The Chiba Project: Largest Single-Site AI Infrastructure Deployment in Japan

The collaboration builds on the Chiba Project, an AI infrastructure development project being jointly developed by RHAELM and JERA at JERA's Chiba Thermal Power Station. The project will provide a real-world basis for informing and refining the standardized model envisioned under the MoU. The Chiba Project will be supported by a power capacity of up to 400 MW.

At this scale, it would be the largest single-site AI infrastructure deployment in Japan and one of the largest in Asia today. Total capital deployment is expected to exceed USD 15 billion across all phases of development, spanning land, power infrastructure, facility construction, and AI compute.

The project will be behind-the-meter from JERA's operating generation asset, enabling capacity to be delivered years ahead of a conventional grid-connected development schedule.

Operations are targeted to begin around 2028. JERA and RHAELM also intend to explore deployment of the model at other JERA sites, with the ambition of supporting multi-gigawatt-scale AI infrastructure capacity across Japan in the 2030s.

Division of Roles Among the Three Partners

Under the partnership, each company takes a distinct role. As the energy partner, JERA provides the large-scale, 24/7 power that AI infrastructure requires. Locating AI infrastructure on land adjacent to JERA's power stations can shorten the path to power, enabling computing capacity to come online more quickly and expand as demand grows.

The Dell AI Factory standardizes the compute layer through pre-integrated, rack-scale infrastructure designed for rapid deployment. RHAELM leads project delivery, drawing on its experience in developing large-scale AI compute infrastructure and integrating JERA's power and site capabilities with the Dell AI Factory to create a scalable model for rapid deployment across Japan.

Japan's ability to scale AI infrastructure at speed will depend, according to the companies, on reliable gas-fired generation and a resilient LNG value chain. The collaboration combines JERA's integrated capabilities across LNG procurement, shipping, import and regasification, and power generation, with Dell Technologies' standardized rack-scale AI infrastructure and RHAELM's data center development and delivery capabilities.

Together, the parties aim to establish an integrated model connecting LNG supply with AI computing for deployment in Japan and globally.

Alignment with Japanese Government Policy

The initiative supports Japan's national drive to expand domestic AI computing capacity and develop the power and digital infrastructure needed to underpin its AI economy.

It is closely aligned with the Government of Japan's push for "Watt-Bit Collaboration", the coordinated development of electricity and telecommunications infrastructure, and its broader GX Strategic Area policy to encourage data center clusters and new technology-led industrial hubs.

Leadership Perspectives

Yukio Kani, Global CEO and Chair of JERA, said JERA is uniquely positioned to power Japan's AI ambitions.

"We already generate one-third of Japan's electricity and supply nearly all of the power consumed in the Tokyo metropolitan area, with capabilities spanning the full LNG value chain, from fuel procurement, shipping, receiving terminals, and gas infrastructure through to downstream power generation and reliable operations, complemented by a growing renewable energy portfolio," Kani said.

"By bringing those capabilities together with Dell Technologies and RHAELM, we can help AI infrastructure come online faster with access to the large-scale, reliable energy it needs in a complex and fuel-constrained market like Japan and create a model that can be deployed at scale across Japan and over time, potentially in other markets."

Arthur Lewis, President of Dell Technologies' Infrastructure Solutions Group, said deploying AI infrastructure at a national scale requires a foundation built for control, flexibility, and growth from day one.

"Dell Technologies provides a standardized platform that lets organizations run AI on their terms, with security and data sovereignty built in," Lewis said. "This collaboration with JERA and RHAELM is designed to deliver that foundation, creating the compute capacity Japan needs to develop and scale its own AI innovation."

Bradd Lewis, CEO and Chief Revenue Officer of RHAELM, said RHAELM was built to solve exactly this kind of challenge, taking stranded power capacity and turning it into sovereign AI infrastructure.

Financing Support from Apollo

For the first project in Chiba, Apollo Global Management Inc. intends to serve as a strategic investment and financing partner for RHAELM, according to the announcement.

The MoU's standardized model is planned for its first application at that Chiba site, with the three companies positioning the project as the template for broader deployment across Japan and, over time, potentially other markets.

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