Equinix has committed more than S$9 million through 2028 to support clean energy research and innovation in Singapore, aligning with the Singapore Green Plan 2030. The programme brings together industry and academia to assess options to diversify the country’s energy mix as it works towards net-zero emissions by 2050.
Singapore remains heavily reliant on natural gas for power generation. Under the Green Plan, the government aims to import up to 4 GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035 and is evaluating alternatives including hydrogen, geothermal energy and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
Yee May Leong, Managing Director, Singapore, Equinix, said: “The clean energy transition is more than a climate imperative — it is the engine of our digital and AI-driven economy. As Singapore and Asia accelerate into their next phase of digital advancement, clean and renewable power becomes mission-critical.”
The first five grant recipients include the Asia Clean Energy Coalition, which will work on policy and regulatory frameworks for corporate renewable electricity procurement; the Centre for Strategic Energy and Resources, which will study the potential role of nuclear technologies; and the International Tracking Standard Foundation, focusing on frameworks for cross-border renewable energy certificate trading.
Academic partners include Nanyang Technological University, which will examine the feasibility of geothermal energy for data centre cooling, and the National University of Singapore Energy Studies Institute, which will assess the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of developing a clean hydrogen supply chain.
Minh Anh Nguyen, Chief of Staff at the Asia Clean Energy Coalition, said: “Cross-border renewable energy collaboration is essential for Southeast Asia to scale clean energy at the pace required to meet national and regional climate goals.”
Dr Victor Nian, Founding Co-Chairman of the Centre for Strategic Energy and Resources, said the work would “evaluate the potential deployment of nuclear technologies as a cornerstone of Singapore’s future energy strategy”.
Jared Braslawsky, Executive Director of the International Tracking Standard Foundation, said the collaboration would support “frameworks that advance credible and scalable approaches to renewable energy procurement”.
Professor Alessandro Romagnoli of Nanyang Technological University said the research reflects “a growing need to explore alternative energy pathways for data centres as demand for digital services continues to rise”.
Professor Lee Poh Seng, Executive Director of the NUS Energy Studies Institute, added: “Through this collaboration, we are assessing technical and economic feasibility alongside environmental performance, to identify where hydrogen makes sense and what system conditions must be in place.”
