News: Facebook to spend $1.4bn on 100% renewable Singapore data centre

News: Facebook to spend $1.4bn on 100% renewable Singapore data centre

Facebook is to spend 1.4 billion on its first data centre in Singapore which is expected to run on 100% renewable energy.

The 11-storey, 170,000 sqm data centre in Singapore will utilise a liquid cooling technology set to minimise water and power consumption and according to tests, can reduce the amount of groundwater used by up to 20%, particularly in a humid climate like Singapore’s.

Fortis Construction were Facebook’s contractor of choice, due to their experience building highly efficient data centres. At 11 storeys high, Fortis will build the facility upwards rather than outwards, saving on the amount of land required. The building itself will also be constructed from a light-weight perforated material to help promote airflow.

This will be Facebook’s fifteenth data centre worldwide and according to Furlong, this latest project is ‘going to take a while’, with first phase operations predicted to start in 2022 amid further construction.

At the launch event, trade and industry minister Chan Chun Sing said Facebook’s decision to locate its first Asian data centre in Singapore was a ‘significant milestone’ for the country and would strengthen the country’s role in data storage as well as promote talent and creativity in the region.

Source: Energyzine