Reviewing cooling and energy management technologies through NUS-led STDCT 2.0
Exploring data center operating efficiency and power management in hot, humid conditions
Yokogawa will participate in a tropical data center demonstration initiative led by the National University of Singapore. With the spread of generative AI and cloud services increasing data center electricity demand, the initiative focuses on validating cooling and energy management technologies for tropical regions.
Yokogawa said it would join the Sustainable Tropical Data Centre Testbed 2.0 (STDCT 2.0) consortium, led by the National University of Singapore's College of Design and Engineering (CDE), through its subsidiary Yokogawa Engineering Asia. The company plans to draw on its experience in industrial automation and autonomous operations to review approaches to data center operating efficiency, equipment reliability and energy management.
STDCT 2.0 brings together academia, industry and government agencies to establish data center operating models suited to tropical climates. Participating organizations plan to develop and evaluate energy management and cooling technologies and validate their applicability in AI data center environments.
As demand for data centers increases, electricity consumption, cooling costs and shortages of operating personnel are emerging as major industry challenges. In hot, humid Singapore in particular, cooling systems can face greater demands, requiring an approach that connects the operation of the entire data center rather than improving power and cooling equipment separately.
Singapore has designated the data center industry as a strategic growth sector and is pursuing plans, led by industrial infrastructure development agency JTC Corporation, to develop Jurong Island into a data center hub with capacity of up to 700 MW. Securing data center technologies and energy management capabilities that support reliable operation in tropical conditions is therefore being cited as a key factor in the local industry's expansion.
Lee Poh Seng, a professor at the National University of Singapore and STDCT director, said, “AI data centers need to optimize computing, power, cooling, control and operations as an integrated system.” Lee added, “STDCT 2.0 is a platform for applying and validating relevant technologies in real-world tropical conditions.”
Chay Kin Wah, president and chief executive officer of Yokogawa Engineering Asia, said, “We will draw on our experience in industrial automation and energy management to contribute to efficient and sustainable data center operations in tropical regions.”
Original Korean article: hellot.net
English brief by Korea Wind Intelligence, koreawindintel.com
