Sembcorp to supply solar power to Facebook’s Singapore operations
SINGAPORE: Sembcorp Industries will be powering Facebook’s operations in Singapore, including the social media giant’s first data centre to be located in Asia
, the Singapore utilities company said on Tuesday (Sep 18).
Sembcorp said in a press release that it has signed a 20-year deal with Facebook to supply it with solar energy.
It will be installing panels on close to 900 rooftops in Singapore between the end of this year and 2020 to meet Facebook’s renewable energy requirement. The offsite solar panels will total 50 MWp in capacity, it said.
Facebook said on Sep 6 that the Singapore data centre – its first in Asia – is estimated to start operating by 2022. The new facility, to be located at Tanjong Kling in the west of Singapore, will span 170,000 sq m.
“This agreement represents our first step towards supporting our Singapore Data Center and local offices with 100 per cent renewable energy,” said Mr Bobby Hollis, head of global energy at Facebook.
Sembcorp has more than 2,500 megawatts of wind and solar power projects across Singapore, China and India, and it plans to double its renewables portfolio and reduce its carbon intensity by around 25 per cent by 2022, the company said.
“As our world moves towards renewables and lower-carbon energy, there is an increasing demand for solutions that enable businesses to achieve growth while managing their impact on the environment.
“Sembcorp is actively working with companies in this, and supporting their efforts towards this dual objective,” said Mr Neil McGregor, group president & CEO of Sembcorp Industries.
Content: CNA/hm(ms)
Photo: Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg