Singapore to pilot data centre call for application in Q2 with focus on sustainability

PUBLIC agencies in Singapore will launch a call for application for data centres with an emphasis on meeting environmental sustainability standards.

The Infocomm Media Development Authority and the Economic Development Board will pilot the call for application by Q2 this year.

The move will "facilitate the calibrated growth of data centres that possess the best-in-class techniques, and technologies and practices for energy efficiency and decarbonisation," said Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information.

He noted that while data centres power many applications and services for businesses and consumers, from complex data management to e-commerce transactions, they are also intensive users of water and electricity.

"Given our resource constraints, we need to manage the development of data centres sustainably," said Janil during the debate on his ministry's budget in Parliament on Friday (Mar 4).

Specific details of the conditions for the new data centre applications were not given.

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The Business Times reported in January that local data centre players were told 3 applications will be approved during the pilot phase for data centre capacities of between 10MW and 30MW.

New data centres will need to have a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.3 and below, a source said. A lower PUE value represents higher efficiency.

Singapore has placed a moratorium on new data centres since 2019 over concerns about the sector's sustainable growth. No new data centre construction projects have been approved since then.