Data Centre Week: 11 September 2026 — What Operators Need to Know

This week in APAC data centres
- EDB and IMDA allocated 200MW across Digital Realty, Equinix, Keppel Data Centres and STT GDC on Jurong Island, with 50% low-carbon power mandated (eNOVA internal summary from Singapore EDB/IMDA announcement).
- SS 726:2026 tropical liquid cooling standard launched by IMDA and Enterprise Singapore, targeting 30%+ facility energy reduction versus air cooling (Enterprise Singapore, IMDA).
- DayOne and TNB Power Generation agreed up to 1.5GW on-site generation and battery storage for Selangor data centre campus (DayOne press release).
- PwC forecasts Singapore data centre investment rising from US$7 billion annually in 2026 to US$19.2 billion by 2050, totalling US$330 billion cumulative (PwC Southeast Asia data centre outlook).
Singapore’s data centre sector is entering a new era of efficiency and scale this week, with the government’s second capacity call deploying 200MW across four operators on Jurong Island whilst introducing the world’s first tropical liquid cooling standard that could cut energy consumption by over 30%. Meanwhile, regional expansion is accelerating as operators secure on-site power solutions in Malaysia and acquire hyperscale capacity across Greater Tokyo, all underpinned by forecasts of US$330 billion cumulative investment in Singapore alone through 2050.
Who won Singapore’s 200MW data centre capacity call, and what strings are attached?
TechNode Global
EDB and IMDA have provisionally allocated 50MW each to Digital Realty, Equinix, Keppel Data Centres and STT GDC on Jurong Island, chosen from more than 20 proposals under the second Data Centre Call for Application, with at least 50% of power to come from low-carbon sources and Green Mark DC Platinum expected.
What this means for your operations: Every one of these halls will be scrutinised on power productivity, so per-outlet metering and live PUE reporting are now baseline rather than nice-to-have. If you run a facility that missed out, the same efficiency bar will apply when the next call opens, and intelligent PDUs plus DCIM are the cheapest way to prove it.
What does Singapore’s new SS 726 liquid cooling standard require of operators?
Enterprise Singapore
IMDA and Enterprise Singapore have launched SS 726:2026, described as the world’s first standard for liquid cooling in tropical data centres, covering loop design, floor loading, piping materials, fluid quality, monitoring and CDU integration, with liquid cooling cited as cutting facility energy use by more than 30% versus air.
What this means for your operations: Liquid-cooled racks push well past 40kW, which changes the PDU spec (higher amperage, per-outlet metering, environmental sensors for leak and humidity) and makes remote KVM and out-of-band access more valuable when you would rather not open a wet hall for a console session.
Why is DayOne building up to 1.5GW of on-site power for its Kuala Lumpur data centre?
Data Center Dynamics
DayOne and TNB Power Generation signed an MoU to explore a dedicated on-site generation and battery storage solution of up to 1.5GW for DayOne’s planned Selangor campus, building on a June deal for 1.5GW of solar and 2.2GWh of storage.
What this means for your operations: Grid headroom, not land, is now the gating item across Johor and Greater KL. When power arrives through a private plant and batteries, rack-level load visibility and remote power cycling become the tools that keep IT load inside a negotiated envelope.
How much will Singapore invest in data centres by 2050, according to PwC?
TechNode Global
PwC forecasts Singapore’s annual data centre investment rising from about US$7 billion in 2026 to US$19.2 billion in 2050, roughly US$330 billion cumulative, or about a quarter of the US$1.29 trillion projected for Southeast Asia, growing 4.3% a year.
What this means for your operations: PwC’s line is that Singapore competes on the value of each megawatt rather than volume. In practice that rewards operators who can show measured, per-rack efficiency and squeeze more usable capacity out of an existing power allocation.
What does Keppel DC REIT’s US$1.05 billion Tokyo purchase say about APAC colocation demand?
W.Media
Singapore-listed Keppel DC REIT is buying an 88.62% effective interest in two fully occupied hyperscale data centres in Inzai, Greater Tokyo, for JPY168.4 billion (US$1.05 billion), lifting Japan to 23% of its rental income and its portfolio to 27 facilities in 10 countries.
What this means for your operations: REIT buyers pay for facilities with clean, auditable operating data. Sites with DCIM-grade power and capacity records, and standardised remote access across estates, are easier to underwrite and easier to run once ownership changes hands.
As Singapore’s data centre infrastructure matures under tighter sustainability mandates and higher density requirements, operators need visibility and control across power distribution, environmental monitoring, keyboard-video-mouse access and out-of-band management to meet SS 726 compliance and capital efficiency targets. Contact eNOVA Technologies today to discuss how Raritan PDUs, Adder and Guntermann & Drunck KVM solutions, ZPE Systems out-of-band management, Sunbird DCIM and VuWall visualisation can optimise your facility’s performance and regulatory readiness: https://enova.sg/contact/
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SS 726:2026 and why should my data centre care about it?
SS 726:2026 is the world’s first standard for liquid cooling in tropical data centres, launched by IMDA and Enterprise Singapore, covering loop design, floor loading, piping materials, fluid quality, monitoring and CDU integration. Operators in Singapore and the region must comply with this standard to meet regulatory requirements and can expect energy savings exceeding 30% versus traditional air cooling systems.
Which operators won Singapore’s second data centre capacity call and what are the conditions?
Digital Realty, Equinix, Keppel Data Centres and STT GDC each received provisional allocations of 50MW on Jurong Island under the second Data Centre Call for Application. Each allocation requires at least 50% of power to come from low-carbon sources and is expected to achieve Green Mark DC Platinum certification.
How does on-site power generation affect data centre resilience and economics?
On-site power generation and battery storage, as demonstrated by DayOne’s planned 1.5GW solution with TNB Power Generation, provides operational resilience against grid disruptions whilst enabling operators to manage power costs and meet sustainability commitments. This approach is increasingly attractive in APAC as operators scale hyperscale campuses and face rising electricity demand from AI and cloud workloads.
Why is Keppel DC REIT expanding heavily into Japan and what does it signal for APAC colocation?
Keppel DC REIT acquired an 88.62% effective interest in two fully occupied hyperscale data centres in Greater Tokyo for US$1.05 billion, lifting Japan to 23% of its rental income. This acquisition signals strong sustained demand for carrier-neutral, densely built colocation capacity across APAC, where regional investment is forecast to reach US$1.29 trillion through 2050.
What power distribution and monitoring capabilities do I need for tropical liquid cooling compliance?
Operators must implement precision power distribution units (PDUs) with real-time metering and environmental monitoring to track fluid temperature, pressure and quality as required by SS 726:2026, alongside integrated data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) platforms. Out-of-band management access ensures you can respond to alerts and anomalies independently of primary network connectivity, critical when managing high-density liquid-cooled equipment.


