Singapore's reliance on fossil fuel is biggest obstacle for data centres

SINGAPORE: Data centres in Singapore have become more sustainable over the years, but for them to reduce their carbon footprint, they would have to overcome significant obstacles.

The fact that Singapore relies heavily on fossil fuels is one of the biggest obstacles that could be out of their control, according to experts.

Energy-guzzling data centres are used by organisations for everything from e-commerce to cybersecurity, as well as a collection of rows and rows of servers to store, process and communicate information.

Singapore has more than 70 data centres which together accounted for 7 per cent of the country's total electricity consumption, according to the latest figures in 2021.

The country has a temporary pause on data centres in 2019. Following a review, the government stated that it intends to be more selective of such projects, and later release criteria that new centres will have to meet, such as using energy-efficient technology and obtaining green certification.

According to experts, Singapore's limited availability of renewable energy is one of the biggest limitations for data centres when it comes to sustainability efforts.

About 95 per cent of Singapore's electricity is generated from natural gas, traditionally piped in from Malaysia and Indonesia. Natural gas is a form of fossil fuel, albeit the cleanest form, because it produces the least carbon emissions per unit of electricity.

Singapore's limited land area and high population density make it difficult to generate renewable energy on a large scale, said Lee Poh Seng, associate professor at the National University of Singapore's NUS mechanical engineering department.