Data Centre Week: 13 November 2026 — What Operators Need to Know
This week in APAC data centres
- Equinix SG6 opens with 8 MW initial phase and 1.20 PUE target under Singapore’s new Data Centre Call for Application framework (DataCenterNews Asia).
- Synopsys joins NUS Sustainable Tropical Data Centre Testbed phase 2.0 to test two-phase direct-to-chip cooling in climates where cooling consumes up to 40% of energy (DataCenterNews Asia).
- Malaysia raises connected load charge from RM8.50 to RM89.64 per kW to deter speculative bookings across 117 approved data centres totalling 23,500 MW (w.media).
- US Commerce Department proposes licensing requirements for Blackwell-class chips to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia to prevent remote access by Chinese AI firms (The Information, cited by w.media).
Singapore’s data centre sector is navigating a critical inflection point where density, efficiency and geopolitics converge: Equinix’s landmark SG6 opening exemplifies how new sites are being engineered for sub-1.21 PUE performance and AI workloads, even as tropical cooling innovation and Malaysian tariff shocks reshape the region’s cost structure. This week’s stories reveal that data centre operators must simultaneously master advanced thermal management, contend with tightening US export controls on AI accelerators, and prepare infrastructure for racks approaching 1 MW by 2027–2028, fundamentally challenging legacy power distribution and monitoring architectures.
What does Equinix’s new SG6 site tell us about Singapore’s next wave of data centres?
DataCenterNews Asia
Equinix has opened SG6, a USD 290 million Singapore site with 8 MW and about 1,550 cabinets in phase one (20 MW at full build), designed for a PUE of 1.20 and among the first built under the Data Centre Call for Application framework.
What this means for your operations: A 1.20 design PUE is now the bar for new Singapore capacity. Holding it in daily operation needs rack-level metering, so per-outlet PDU data and DCIM reporting matter from day one, not after the first audit.
How is Singapore testing liquid cooling for tropical AI data centres?
DataCenterNews Asia
Synopsys has joined phase 2.0 of the NUS-led Sustainable Tropical Data Centre Testbed, which is studying two-phase direct-to-chip cooling and digital twins in a climate where cooling can use up to 40% of a site’s energy.
What this means for your operations: Digital twins are only as good as their live data. Before adopting liquid cooling, make sure rack power, temperature and humidity sensors already feed a DCIM platform, so the model matches the real hall.
Why has Malaysia raised the connected load charge for data centres more than tenfold?
w.media
Malaysia has lifted its connected load charge from RM8.50 to RM89.64 per kW to deter speculative power bookings, with 117 approved data centres totalling about 23,500 MW of maximum demand.
What this means for your operations: Booking power you never draw now costs real money in Malaysia. Per-rack load data from intelligent PDUs lets you size grid applications to actual demand, not guesswork.
Will new US rules limit remote access to AI chips in Singapore data centres?
w.media
According to a report by The Information, cited by w.media, proposed US Commerce rules would require licences to export Blackwell-class chips to seven countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, to stop remote access by Chinese AI firms.
What this means for your operations: The rules aren’t final, but access-based controls raise one question: who can reach which servers, and can you prove it? Logged access through secure KVM and out-of-band management gives you that audit trail.
How close are AI racks to 1 MW, and what does that mean for safety?
Rallies
UL Solutions says rack power could approach 1 MW by 2027-2028, up from about 10 kW in 2020, with air cooling struggling past 25-30 kW per rack and liquid cooling bringing new leak and material risks.
What this means for your operations: Higher density means higher fault current and thinner margins. Branch-circuit monitoring, alarm thresholds and remote power control at the PDU catch overloads early, without sending someone into the hall.
As Singapore’s data centre ecosystem intensifies in power density and regulatory complexity, operators need real-time visibility and control across PDU, KVM, out-of-band management and DCIM layers to optimise efficiency under the new Call for Application framework and manage AI rack densification safely. Contact eNOVA this week to discuss how Raritan PDUs, Adder/G&D KVM, ZPE out-of-band solutions, and Sunbird DCIM can future-proof your infrastructure for sub-1.20 PUE targets and next-generation cooling demands: https://enova.sg/contact/
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Data Centre Call for Application framework and why does it matter for Singapore operators?
The Call for Application is Singapore’s new regulatory framework governing data centre development, under which sites like Equinix SG6 are approved and designed to meet efficiency and capacity criteria aligned with national infrastructure strategy. Operators building or expanding in Singapore now require approval under this framework, making compliance and efficiency certification essential to project viability and timeline.
How much more expensive is it to operate a data centre in Malaysia after the connected load charge increase?
Malaysia’s connected load charge rose from RM8.50 to RM89.64 per kW, an increase of approximately 955%, making speculative power bookings significantly more costly and incentivising operators to right-size their allocated demand. For a 10 MW facility, this translates to a monthly rise of approximately RM816,000 in connected load fees alone.
What is two-phase direct-to-chip cooling and why is the NUS testbed studying it for tropical data centres?
Two-phase direct-to-chip cooling circulates a refrigerant directly onto processor dies, where it evaporates to absorb heat far more efficiently than air or single-phase liquid cooling, reducing energy consumption in ambient temperatures of 25–35°C common in Southeast Asia. The NUS testbed is validating this approach because cooling accounts for up to 40% of tropical data centre energy cost, making efficiency gains here critical to achieving sub-1.20 PUE.
Why are US export controls on Blackwell chips relevant to Singapore and Malaysian data centre operators?
Proposed US Commerce Department rules would require export licences for advanced AI chips like Nvidia Blackwell to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, aiming to prevent Chinese firms from renting remote access to these chips via regional data centre operators. Operators hosting or planning to host Blackwell or equivalent accelerators in these countries may face licensing delays, inventory restrictions or customer eligibility challenges.
How will 1 MW racks change data centre power distribution and cooling requirements by 2027–2028?
Rack power approaching 1 MW from today’s typical 10–25 kW represents a 40–100x density increase, pushing traditional air cooling past its limits (typically 25–30 kW per rack) and requiring adoption of liquid cooling with associated risks including coolant leaks and material compatibility issues. PDU, UPS, cooling and monitoring infrastructure designed for lower densities will need complete redesign to handle fault tolerance, thermal management and real-time power visibility at these scales.
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eNOVA Technologies is Singapore's specialist distributor for data centre IT management solutions, representing Adder, Guntermann & Drunck, Raritan, Sunbird, ZPE Systems, and VuWall across Singapore and Southeast Asia. Our technical content is produced with AI assistance and reviewed by our in-house team before publication.
This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by the eNOVA Technologies team. All technical claims are verified against manufacturer documentation.
