Keppel Commences Construction of 25MW Floating Data Centre in Singapore

Keppel starts work on floating data centre in Singapore

Keppel has initiated construction on Keppel DC SGP 9, a facility designed to combat severe land and water constraints in Singapore. The project features a four-storey waterborne module providing 19.2MW of the total 25MW capacity.

Why This Matters

Traditional data centers in dense urban hubs face scaling limits due to land scarcity and high consumption of potable water for cooling. Keppel’s move to a floating, modular architecture utilizes seawater cooling to meet Singapore’s stringent 1.25 PUE requirement while bypassing terrestrial real estate limitations, though the shift from pilot to 25MW scale introduces significant maritime engineering complexities.

Key Insights

• Keppel DC SGP 9 comprises a four-storey 19.2MW waterborne module and shoreside infrastructure across 9,870m2 of land, according to Keppel’s 2025 environment report.
• Singapore’s 2025 ‘Call for Application’ mandates Green Mark Platinum certification and at least 50% power from green energy sources for new capacity.
• The floating design utilizes seawater for cooling, significantly reducing the reliance on potable or industrial water typical in conventional facilities.
• Global floating data center adoption remains limited; Nautilus Data Technologies launched a 6.5MW barge-based facility in 2021 but later pivoted focus to cooling infrastructure.
• Keppel’s modular design allows for units to be redeployed to other near-shore locations, providing a level of infrastructure mobility unavailable to fixed terrestrial sites.

Practical Applications

• Use case: Keppel utilizing seawater-cooled modular units at Loyang Crescent to bypass industrial water usage limits. Pitfall: Marine biofouling or salt corrosion in cooling systems leading to increased maintenance overhead compared to closed-loop terrestrial systems.
• Use case: Japanese consortia deploying offshore floating data centers with solar and battery storage in Yokohama. Pitfall: Vulnerability to extreme maritime weather events which can disrupt connectivity and physical structural integrity.

References:

• https://www.cloudcomputing-news.net/news/keppel-floating-data-centre-singapore/