Digital Realty, Equinix, STT GDC, and Keppel secure expansion rights for new data centre facilities in Singapore.
Digital Realty, Equinix, ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC), and Keppel Data Centres have been approved to develop new digital infrastructure capacity in Singapore, the government announced Friday. Representing two local and two international operators, each company received rights to build 50 megawatts (MW) of new data centre capacity. The selections followed a competitive process managed by the Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), which evaluated more than 20 proposals.
Singapore has restricted new data centre development since 2019 amid concerns over electricity consumption and environmental impact. Consequently, the provisional allocations are contingent on the winners exceeding the sustainability and efficiency benchmarks established when the DC-CFA2 application process launched in December. “The four supported data centres have committed to exceed the minimum sustainability requirements imposed for DC-CFA2, and will power more than 50 percent of their DC capacity from green energy sources,” the government said in a statement. “These DCs will also be best-in-class in energy efficiency by adopting advanced technologies such as liquid cooling and using 100 percent energy-efficient IT equipment.”
The total awarded capacity of 200 MW meets the minimum threshold proposed during the December rollout. All four approvals are tied to developments on Jurong Island, following the government’s October announcement of a dedicated low-carbon data centre park there. The EDB has allocated 20 hectares (49 acres) for the park, with plans to support up to 700 MW of power capacity. Friday’s approvals mark the second allocation round since the government lifted its 2019 moratorium on data centre development.
All four selected operators currently maintain facilities in Singapore. Digital Realty, the largest U.S. data centre REIT behind Equinix, confirmed plans for a new Jurong Island project. “As part of DC-CFA2, we’ll expand our Singapore data center footprint on Jurong Island, supporting the next generation of advanced compute infrastructure while meeting the program’s requirements for best-in-class energy efficiency and green energy,” Digital Realty said on LinkedIn. Digital Realty currently operates one facility in Jurong East and two in the Loyang area near Changi Airport, bringing its total Singapore capacity to over 70 MW.
Equinix’s approval adds a seventh facility to its Singapore portfolio, located on Jurong Island. The company currently operates five data centres in the country, with a sixth under construction in the Jalan Tukang area in the west. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, Equinix does not publicly disclose its total operational capacity in Singapore.
STT GDC operates six data centres in Singapore with a combined capacity exceeding 110 MW. While the company launched an infrastructure testbed on Jurong Island in January, it had not previously announced plans for a project within the designated data centre park. “Beyond capacity, we will work with customers, technology partners, research institutions and the wider ecosystem to translate this investment into enduring economic value for Singapore, strengthen its digital ecosystem and international connectivity, and support the continued growth and vibrancy of its digital economy,” Bruno Lopez, president and group chief executive officer of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, said in a statement.
For Singapore-based Keppel, the award facilitates the development of Keppel DC SGP 11 on southern Jurong Island, representing an expected investment of more than S$1 billion ($790 million). “On Jurong Island, we have the opportunity to harness our data centre and subsea cable expertise alongside Keppel’s established power and energy infrastructure to develop digital infrastructure that is efficient, resilient, increasingly sustainable and well-connected,” Manjot Singh Mann, CEO of the company’s connectivity division, said. Keppel currently operates eight data centres across five locations in Singapore, with 200 MW of combined operating capacity.
When soliciting applications in December, Singapore authorities emphasized that proposals would be evaluated based on their ability to reinforce the city-state’s position as a trusted hub for artificial intelligence and data centre investment. Judges also assessed contributions to national economic objectives and the acceleration of green energy adoption. Selected operators must source at least 50 percent of their proposed capacity from renewable sources such as biomethane, low-carbon ammonia, low-carbon hydrogen, or building-integrated photovoltaics. They are also required to implement energy-efficient practices, including liquid cooling and 100 percent energy-efficient IT equipment, to achieve Singapore’s Green Mark DC Platinum Certification.
In its Friday statement, the EDB and IMDA noted that they will reassess the need for a third capacity proposal call within 18 months to two years. Singapore’s government originally ended its four-year development moratorium in 2023 by awarding approximately 80 MW of new capacity to Equinix, Microsoft, GDS Holdings, and a joint venture between Australia’s AirTrunk and China’s ByteDance.