Green Data Centre (DC) Roadmap

Data Centres are a core foundational digital infrastructure supporting our digital-first Smart Nation efforts. Developed with inputs from industry, the Green Data Centre (DC) Roadmap charts a sustainable pathway for the continued growth of DCs in Singapore to support our ambitions for the digital economy. It continues the work of the Digital Connectivity Blueprint launched in June 2023, and aims to provide at least 300 megawatts (MW) of additional capacity in the near term, with much more through green energy deployments. Through the additional capacity, we aim to seed innovative ways to accelerate energy efficiency, as well as seed hybrid ways to unlock further capacity through green energy.

Today, Singapore is a regional DC hub, with a total capacity exceeding 1.4 gigawatts. DCs here tap on Singapore’s broader international position as a business and digital hub.

Demand for compute resources will continue to rise, propelled by growing use of AI, autonomous and robotic systems, and immersive virtual interactions. These require a diverse mix of top-tier compute-infrastructure, to serve current and future needs.

However, DCs are intensive users of resources, like electricity and water. The challenge of managing the resource footprint of DC growth is a global one. As a compact city-state, Singapore is well positioned to innovate and pioneer solutions that may then be applicable internationally, to help address this global challenge of sustainable DC growth.

DC operators are important catalysts to bring together green efficiency and green energy solutioning partners to realise the broader goals of sustainable development.

IMDA will facilitate efforts to build partnerships to push boundaries on two fronts:

• Accelerate DCs’ energy efficiency at hardware and software levels. We will work with industry and end-users to put in place best-in-class technologies to maximise efficiency and compute capacity. We aim for all DCs to operate at Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.3 or lower, and adopt energy-efficient compute/IT infrastructure in the medium term; and
• Accelerate DCs’ use of green energy to expand capacity. We intend to facilitate industry to explore deployment of green energy at scale to maximise opportunities for continued growth.

We will support the ecosystem to do so through the following moves:

1. Co-develop enhanced standards and certifications with industry and support DCs to adopt such standards and forward looking policies.
2. Help DCs to uplift their energy efficiency and enterprise end-users to upgrade to more energy-efficient compute/IT equipment through incentives.
3. Facilitate industry partnerships to deliver low-carbon energy sources.
4. Drive innovation through active R&D collaboration with industry and academia.

This Roadmap is a living document. We welcome industry to partner us on this pioneering journey to achieve more sustainable growth and bring the ecosystem together to push boundaries.