Equinix invests USD $260 million in sixth Singapore centre
Equinix has announced the development of its sixth International Business Exchange data centre in Singapore, known as SG6, with an initial investment of USD $260 million.
The new facility, SG6, is designed to enhance Singapore's data center capacity while supporting the national sustainability goals, including the country's Green Plan 2030. It aims to cater to compute-intensive workloads such as artificial intelligence by adopting renewable energy and liquid cooling technology. SG6 will also be part of Equinix's global network of interconnected data centres, enabling efficient artificial intelligence workflows with low latency, high-bandwidth connections.
Singapore's aspirations involve harnessing AI to drive innovation and contribute to economic growth. The island-state is making significant investments in technologies requiring substantial computing power, such as quantum technology, blockchain, and edge computing. The expansion in data centre capacity, particularly with trusted and responsible providers like Equinix, is integral to achieving these goals sustainably.
As part of its commitment to sustainability, Equinix has a renewable energy power purchase agreement with Sembcorp Industries in Singapore.
The company is also taking various steps, such as employing lower carbon building materials, energy-efficient cooling systems, and incorporating rainwater harvesting technologies. The planned liquid cooling technology in SG6 is designed to manage high-power applications more efficiently than traditional air cooling systems.
Equinix's efforts to drive sustainability extend to partnerships involving both private and public sectors within Singapore and the broader APAC region. Collaborations include working with the College of Design and Engineering at the National University of Singapore to evaluate alternative power supply systems and joining forces with IMDA and Dell Technologies to advance the sustainable deployment of digital infrastructure.
Aileen Chia, Deputy Chief Executive (Connectivity Development & Regulation) at IMDA, remarked, "We welcome Equinix's addition of SG6 to its data centre (DC) investments. As we sustain the momentum of Singapore's digital economy which today contributes almost 18% to Singapore's GDP, data centres are a foundational digital infrastructure supporting our Smart Nation 2.0 efforts. Equinix's strong commitment to sustainability is aligned with our Green DC Roadmap, where we seek to accelerate DC energy efficiency and use of green energy to support the sustainable growth of Singapore's digital economy. Singapore will continue to foster collaborations across the industry ecosystem to pioneer solutions for sustainable DC growth."
Pei Sheng Goh, Vice President of Digital Industry Singapore, stated, "Southeast Asia's digital economy is expected to continue on its growth trajectory placing Singapore well for sectors such as finance, healthcare, and e-commerce. This presents immense opportunity for Generative AI advancement. We welcome Equinix's continued commitment to Singapore as it will strengthen our capabilities to handle AI computational needs and enhance data connectivity for both local and regional businesses to drive economic value in the region."
Yee May Leong, Managing Director of Equinix Singapore, added, "SG6 sets a new benchmark in our approach to driving digital and AI transformation. As compute-intensive workloads continue to grow, the demand for capacity will also rise, and Equinix is equipped to support these next-generation workloads."
"By integrating the latest sustainability innovations, our new AI-ready data center enables businesses to establish their digital infrastructure both responsibly and sustainably. We have always been a strong proponent of Singapore's Green Plan 2030 and Smart Nation journeys, and grateful for the support from the government and our industry partners."
The nine-storey facility is expected to open in Q1 2027 and will provide 20 MW of capacity when fully operational. Equinix has achieved 100% renewable energy coverage for its data centres in Singapore since 2020 and is on track to reach climate neutrality by 2030. Globally, Equinix operates 268 data centres across 73 metros in 34 countries, with 59 of those located in the Asia-Pacific region.
