Singapore to expand data centre capacity by at least one-third, pushes for green energy use

Singapore aims to expand its data centre capacity by more than one-third to satisfy rising computing needs, as more businesses digitalise and more artificial intelligence (AI) services are rolled out.

At the same time, data centre operators keen to seize this opportunity will have to go green.

At least 300 megawatts (MW) of data centre capacity will be added in the next few years, with another 200 MW allocated only for operators who use green energy options.

The potential 500-and-more MW will add to the existing 1.4 gigawatts of computing capacity in more than 70 data centres on the island, which host the digital lives of internet users here and around the world.

Announcing the details of Singapore’s new Green Data Centre Roadmap launched on 30 May, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said greening data centres is crucial in a digital and carbon-constrained world.

He acknowledged that the growth of data centre activity is at odds with Singapore’s environmental goals due to the huge amounts of energy required to cool data centres.

The tech industry is estimated to be responsible for up to four per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and this figure is sure to grow rapidly amid the rising use of data storage and processing, and generative AI applications that are steamrolling towards an estimated S$1.35 trillion valuation by 2032.

Thus, balancing Singapore’s digital economy, which contributes to almost a fifth of its gross domestic product, with its net zero target by 2050 is a “critical issue”, said DPM Heng at the Asia Tech x Singapore conference on 30 May at the Capella Singapore hotel.

Elaborating on the plans, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Janil Puthucheary said during the conference that the authorities will offer grants and award licences to expand data centre capacity to operators that use green energy and meet stringent standards outlined in the road map.

Green operators can tap schemes offered by the Economic Development Board and other agencies that could defray operating costs by around 30 per cent or more, in some cases.

The green standards outlined in the road map include ways to improve energy efficiency by upgrading equipment and reducing energy used for air-conditioning by safely raising the operating temperature to 26 degrees Celsius.

For instance, operators can consider liquid cooling solutions, which the Infocomm Media Development Authority said are an efficient way to cool racks that operate at higher power. These include immersion cooling, where servers are submerged in thermally conductive dielectric fluid.

Immersion cooling, as per the road map, is the most energy-efficient approach as it eliminates the need for air cooling. But achieving immersion cooling will likely require operators to overhaul their systems and use dedicated facilities.

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres is among the early adopters of immersion cooling at scale here. The method is said to reduce the energy footprint of producing AI cloud services by up to 50 per cent compared with traditional cloud services today.

Another green front runner is Digital Realty, which plans to gradually increase the temperature of one of its data halls to 26 degrees Celsius over time. Mr Jon Curry, vice president of operations in the Asia-Pacific for Digital Realty, said customers will benefit from a lower electricity bill.

During a panel discussion at the event, Mr Benedict Macon-Cooney, chief policy strategist for the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, said computing and energy infrastructures are interconnected and should be tackled together.

Green Software Foundation chairman Sanjay Podder said during the discussion that more efficient software development is crucial to reducing energy consumption, pointing to the choice of programming languages, cutting unnecessary data transfers, and moving workloads to the cloud.

“Good software programming is something we have lost track of as lazy programmers in this new era of abundance,” he said.
 

Source: The Straits Times ©️ SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.