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Facebook has chosen Singapore as the location for its first custom-built data centre in Asia.
Investing over $1.4 billion for its construction, the social media giant revealed that the new facility will be located at Tanjong Kling in the west, formerly known as Data Centre Park.
Speaking to reporters at the launch event, Facebook vice president for Infrastructure Data Centers, Thomas Furlong, said the new project will generate “thousands of construction jobs”, while the 170,000 sq m facility will need “hundreds of operators” from network maintenance to logistics staff, reported Channel NewsAsia.
In a statement, Facebook said the facility will be “hyper-efficient” in terms of the use of land, water and energy. For instance, it will use liquid cooling technology to minimise power and water consumption. Based on its testing, the technology can help reduce the amount of groundwater usage by 20 percent in tropical climates such as Singapore.
The façade of the 11-storey building will also be made of a perforated lightweight material, which allows air flow. To conserve land use, the data centre will be built upwards instead of outwards, it added.
Furlong noted that the data centre is estimated to commence operations by 2022. However, it would only be the first phase as the company expects more construction to continue beyond that. “It’s going to take a while,” he said.
Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing described Facebook’s decision to build its first Asian data centre here as a “significant milestone” for Singapore.
Chan, who graced the launch event, said the social media giant’s presence in Singapore speaks to how the republic is increasingly connected to the world.
He noted that the new facility will not only strengthen Singapore’s role in data storage, but will also facilitate the flow of ideas, talent and creativity into the country.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
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