The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) plan to award approximately 80 MW of new capacity to four data centre operators through the pilot Data Centre – Call for Application (DC-CFA) exercise. This initiative is part of Singapore’s commitment to supporting the growth of data centres in a sustainable manner, aligning with climate change goals. The intention is to release additional capacity in the near future to meet the emerging demand for Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) compute and to promote the deployment of environmentally-friendly data centres in Singapore.Following the temporary halt in the expansion of data centres, the pilot DC-CFA was launched to facilitate the sustainable development of new data centre capacity. The industry was encouraged to propose innovative approaches that would enhance sustainability, strengthen Singapore’s international connectivity, and contribute to broader economic objectives.
The pilot received significant interest from the industry, resulting in over 20 proposals. Based on the quality of these proposals, approximately 80 MW of capacity will be provisionally awarded to the following companies: AirTrunk-ByteDance (Consortium), Equinix, GDS, and Microsoft. These companies demonstrated the ability to meet desired outcomes holistically, while also offering competitive propositions to bolster Singapore’s position as a regional hub and contribute to broader economic goals. Notable highlights include the adoption of energy-efficient practices, such as liquid cooling and energy-efficient core-IT equipment, as well as expanding international connectivity and anchoring key compute capacities, including AI/ML compute.
The EDB and IMDA appreciate the strong support and active participation of the industry in this pilot DC-CFA exercise. The proposals received showcase the industry’s confidence and commitment to sustainably growing the data centre sector and reinforcing Singapore’s value proposition as a leading technology hub in the region.
Looking ahead, the EDB and IMDA will continue to engage industry stakeholders to further develop the data centre sector. They aim to allocate more capacity within the next 12 to 18 months, advancing Singapore’s position as an innovative, sustainable, and global digital hub. Additionally, efforts will be made to develop a roadmap with the industry to promote the development of green data centres with lower carbon emissions, in line with Singapore’s net-zero targets. Given advancements in Generative AI, the EDB and IMDA will also collaborate with industry stakeholders to address the compute and connectivity infrastructure needed to build a competitive AI ecosystem in the immediate future.
