Digital Realty and Equinix apply for new Singapore data centers under green pilot

Digital Realty and Equinix have applied to build new data centers in Singapore, under a trial government framework aimed at the controlled development of green data centers.

The country’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Economic Development Board (EDB) launched the pilot scheme in July, after a data center moratorium in 2019.

The Straits Times reports that the two companies are among those having made submissions to local authorities to expand their capacity.

Digital Realty, which already has three data centers in Singapore, has applied to build a 60MW data center.

It is not known what Equinix, which has five facilities, has applied for.

However, the total capacity allocated under the new pilot is believed to be around 60MW. Multiple companies could win an application, but they would have to share that pot.

Under the new framework, the data centers need to meet a number of sustainability and energy efficiency metrics, and have a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of at least 1.3.

In Digital Realty’s case, the company has also partnered with the National University of Singapore-spinoff CoolestDC.

Digital has piloted the company’s custom cool plate technology at an existing Singapore data center.

Equinix, meanwhile, is piloting hydrogen-ready fuel cells and hydrotreated vegetable oils at facilities outside of Singapore, but could use them at its new site. Data Center Dynamics