THINKING ALOUD

Singapore’s new data centres must use renewables. Can they overcome the hurdles?

The upcoming facilities on Jurong Island may be small in capacity, but have a chance to test new frontiers

Sharanya Pillai
Published Thu, Aug 27, 2026 · 07:00 AM
    • Vertical solar panels integrated into buildings are cited as one of several examples of green pathways that data centres can adopt.
    • Vertical solar panels integrated into buildings are cited as one of several examples of green pathways that data centres can adopt. PHOTO: BT FILE

    [SINGAPORE] The latest crop of data-centre operators awarded capacity in Singapore face a crucial test: whether they can break existing barriers to clean energy adoption – from price uncertainty to supply bottlenecks – and pave the way for the rest of the industry.

    On Aug 21, Singapore awarded 200 megawatts (MW) of data-centre capacity to four operators: 50 MW each to Equinix, Digital Realty, Keppel Data Centres and ST Telemedia Global Data Centres for new facilities on Jurong Island.

    This was part of Singapore’s second Data Centre-Call For Application tender (DC-CFA2), which stipulated that facilities must be at least 50 per cent powered by “eligible green energy pathways”.