NUS-Sembcorp Partnership Advances Low-Carbon Water-Efficient Data Centre Cooling

Unveiling the NUS-Sembcorp Strategic Alliance

The National University of Singapore (NUS), through its College of Design and Engineering (CDE), has forged a pivotal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sembcorp Industries, a leading energy and urban solutions provider in Singapore. This collaboration targets the development and testing of integrated energy-water-cooling systems tailored for artificial intelligence (AI)-ready, sustainable data centres. Positioned within the Sustainable Tropical Data Centre Testbed (STDCT) Phase 2.0 initiative, the partnership leverages Jurong Island's industrial ecosystem to pioneer low-carbon solutions amid Singapore's escalating data centre demands.

Singapore's data centre sector is booming, driven by AI and cloud computing, yet faces stringent sustainability mandates under the Data Centre Call for Application 2 (DC-CFA2). These require operators to achieve a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.25 or better at full IT load, at least 50% green energy usage, and low Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE). Cooling alone consumes up to 40% of a data centre's energy, making innovations critical in the tropical climate where ambient temperatures exacerbate challenges.

Singapore's Data Centre Landscape and Sustainability Pressures

Singapore positions itself as Asia-Pacific's digital hub, with data centres projected to consume 7-9% of national electricity by 2030, up from 2% today. Water scarcity adds urgency; the government targets WUE below 2.0 cubic meters per megawatt-hour (m³/MWh) within a decade. DC-CFA2 allocates 200MW of new capacity but enforces Green Mark 2024 standards, pushing for biofuels, low-carbon ammonia, and advanced cooling.

In this context, NUS's STDCT, launched in 2023 as the world's first tropical data centre testbed, addresses unique challenges like high humidity and heat. Phase 1 at NUS campus supports five research projects on efficient cooling. Phase 2.0 scales to multi-megawatt pilots on Jurong Island, a 20-hectare low-carbon data centre park with hydrogen-ready infrastructure.

NUS's Academic Expertise Driving Innovation

NUS CDE leads with interdisciplinary prowess. Professor PS Lee, Head of Mechanical Engineering and Executive Director of the Energy Studies Institute, champions system-level integration. Collaborators include Professor Akshay Rathore, Associate Professor Sanjib Kumar Panda from Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Professor Md Raisul Islam from Mechanical Engineering. Their work fuses digital twins, multi-energy grids, and optimised cooling for high-density racks—from 5-10kW to over 200kW, eyeing 600kW+ for AI.

This aligns with NUS's mission to nurture talent. The partnership offers hands-on opportunities for engineering students, bridging academia and industry. As Prof Lee notes, flexibility enables demand response and waste-to-resource conversion, enhancing grid resiliency.

Core Technologies in Focus

The MOU explores:

• Centralised cooling plants using recycled or seawater for superior WUE, minimising potable water dependency.
• Absorption chillers powered by waste heat from Sembcorp's Jurong Island assets, converting low-grade heat into chilled water.
• Advanced cooling for variable loads, including liquid cooling with two-phase refrigerants for heat recovery at usable temperatures.

Sembcorp contributes decarbonisation expertise, while partners like Schneider Electric provide prefabricated halls and cooling units, testing AI infrastructure.

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Jurong Island: The Living Laboratory

JTC and NUS's November 2025 MOU designates Jurong Island for STDCT 2.0, a compact data centre mimicking real operations. Operators swap hardware, algorithms, and integrate low-carbon power like solar, biofuels, fuel cells. Studies commence 2026, supporting Singapore's green industrial refresh.

Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong highlights: "Data centre operators will test low-carbon solutions and develop large-scale, water- and energy-efficient systems." This precinct hosts hydrogen plants and carbon capture, ideal for symbiosis.

Stakeholder Perspectives and Industry Impact

Sembcorp views this as advancing DC-CFA2 compliance, enabling next-gen facilities. NUS emphasises tropical optimisation, where traditional air cooling falters. Schneider Electric's sponsorship underscores academia-industry synergy for rack densities up to 1-4MW.

Broader ecosystem includes NTU's ERI@N, DayOne's hydrogen-powered centres partnering NUS-Sembcorp. These efforts position Singapore universities as sustainability leaders.

Fostering Next-Gen Engineering Talent at NUS

Beyond tech, the alliance cultivates skills. Students engage in real-world R&D, from modelling to prototyping, preparing for green jobs. NUS's programs in mechanical, electrical engineering gain industry exposure, aligning with Singapore's SkillsFuture for AI and sustainability.

• Hands-on testbed access accelerates learning.
• Internships with Sembcorp bridge theory-practice.
• Interdisciplinary projects foster innovation.

This responds to graduate employability, with NUS topping rankings.IMDA DC-CFA2 factsheet

Challenges and Solutions in Tropical Cooling

Tropical hurdles: High humidity reduces evaporative cooling efficiency; AI racks generate extreme heat. Solutions:

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Global Implications and Singapore's Leadership

Singapore's model influences SEA and tropics. NUS collaborations export knowledge, boosting higher ed's role in net-zero. Economic upside: Data centres contribute S$5B+ GDP by 2030, with green tech creating jobs.

Looking Ahead: Roadmap and Opportunities

2026 studies kick off, with prototypes following. Success could redefine standards, inviting more partners. For academics, explore NUS roles; students, seize sustainability courses. This NUS-Sembcorp venture exemplifies university-led progress.