DayOne breaks ground on its first Singapore data centre
Will be the first to pilot hydrogen-based power generation.
DayOne on Friday broke ground for its 20MW Singapore data centre. It will be the first data centre to pilot on-site hydrogen-based power generation.
I wasn't aware of the groundbreaking until PS Lee texted me in the evening. Here's what I found from official posts, the Business Times, and Nurdianah's excellent report on The Edge.
DayOne SG1
DayOne's SG1 data centre is one of four awarded with 20MW each as part of the DC-CFA. Other winners include Equinix, Microsoft, and AirTrunk-ByteDance.
The delay of all four DC-CFA operators that won the DC-CFA in 2023 is a story for another day. Suffice to know that the SG1 data centre will be operational next year.
Here's what we know so far:
- 40,000 sqm gross floor area.
- SG$350M to develop the facility.
- Support high-density air-cooled GPUs.
- Incorporate hybrid air and liquid-cooling for AI.
DayOne will apply for both Green Mark for Data Centre Platinum (GMDC:2024) and LEED Platinum.
Sustainable data centres
As far as I'm aware, DayOne's SG1 data centre will be the first data centre in Singapore that will pilot SOFC power generation.
SOFC, or Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, which works by converting chemical energy from a fuel directly into electrical energy through a high-temperature process.
It can use:
- Hydrogen.
- Natural gas.
- Other hydrocarbons.
Depending on fuel used, it emits either zero carbon or is low emissions due to the direct conversion without combustion. DayOne will partner with NUS for this.
This being a pilot, the system is only expected to generate 0.3MW of power. However, it could move the needle towards more widespread deployments in Singapore.
DayOne will also work together with NUS on Phrase 2 of the Sustainable Tropical Data Centre Testbed (STDCT 2.0), with a focus on next generation liquid cooling.
Finally, DayOne has entered into a 10-year PPA with Sembcorp Power for RECs, or Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
The price tag to sustainability
Singapore has a clear, multi-year vision to become a sustainable data centre hub and is working hard to develop local capabilities and talent.
However, there's an undercurrent of concern expressed in private: Singapore's data centres are already the world's most expensive. The push toward leading-edge technologies like SOFC will only further increase costs.
At what point does the cost of building sustainable data centres become unsustainable? And when might operators simply relocate to regions with abundant local renewables?
