Hello Reader,

I was in Taipei this week for Computex and managed to squeeze in a few arranged meetings despite the packed schedule with a dinner meeting, three planned visits to exhibition showcases, and a chance encounter with several readers of this newsletter.

In case you're wondering why it was such a whirlwind: it's a short trip and I was there at the invitation of Asus - check out this photo of their GB300 GPU servers here. That meant a tight schedule, with sessions lined up to get a closer look at what they’re working on.

Computex and liquid cooling

What’s a major exhibition without taking a closer look at some data centre systems? As I previously wrote, direct-to-chip (DTC) liquid cooling is the current favourite, thanks to its speed-to-market and better-than-air cooling properties.

What do you need to implement DTC liquid cooling? MiTAC has the answer at its display which showcased both liquid-to-liquid and liquid-to-air solutions. The former uses a CDU that takes in chilled water from the data centre (liquid-to-liquid), while the latter (liquid-to-air) draws in cooled air from the data centre to achieve the same result. Read about it here.

I also had the chance to see Submer’s immersion cooling rig up close, which the team tells me can cool up to 70kW in a 28U tank.

Stargate data centre in Singapore?

In a post on Saturday, I wrote that OpenAI wants to build a Stargate data centre in Singapore, based on clues such as Singapore’s unique appeal and the planned stops by OpenAI’s chief strategy officer.

But would Singapore be interested, given its focus on sustainability as outlined in the Green Data Centre Roadmap unveiled last May. If you'd asked me 6 to 8 months ago, I would have given an outright "no."

But much has happened in AI given the blistering rate of progress there, and it’s now increasingly possible that not having an in-country AI data centre could be a strategic disadvantage. So why would Singapore be interested in an AI data centre?

There are 3 reasons why Singapore might work with OpenAI to build a Stargate AI data centre here.

1. Capture strategic opportunities in AI

Last year, the announcement of 300MW of additional capacity for data centres sent a clear signal to the industry that Singapore is receptive to building new data centres - given the right circumstances.

At that time, I wrote that the 300MW "is about helping Singapore capture strategic opportunities, not build even larger data centres to help operators make more money." Reading between the lines, I also noted that the 300MW should not be seen as a static allocation, but "as the starting point in Singapore's updated approach to data centres."

If you think about it, an AI data centre built in partnership with a top AI giant fits squarely within the definition of capturing strategic opportunities.

2. AI data centres can accelerate sustainability

This may sound like an oxymoron, but AI data centres could help shift the paradigm around resource use. Just across the border in Malysia, we saw how Google and AirTrunk recently launched projects focused on water sustainability: Google on treating water, and AirTrunk on recycling wastewater. These initiatives aim to significantly reduce, if not eliminate, the water consumption typically associated with hyperscale data centres.

Indeed, AirTrunk may already be pursuing something along this line, especially if the rumours about an 80MW data centre in Singapore turns out to be true. After all, in previous conversations, IMDA made it clear to me that the DC-CFA was only one possible avenue for allocating new data centre capacity.

3. To be built in phases

When we talk about AI data centres, we automatically think in terms of multi-GW facilities - an impossibility for a small nation-state like Singapore. In reality, AI data centres outside the US are built on a much smaller scale.

Take the 100MW AI data centre in Taiwan that Nvidia announced earlier this week, which will be built in 20MW phases. Even Stargate UAE will be built in 200MW phases with the first one scheduled for 2026. With 1.4GW of live data centre capacity in Singapore, adding 20MW or 50MW every two years now feels far more achievable, especially alongside strong, ongoing efforts to import renewables.

What do you think?

A quick favour

Before you go, a quick favour. It's been a while since I last ran a survey - the previous one was when subscriber numbers were still in the low hundreds. If you have 3 minutes to spare, would you mind filling it out here? There are just 3 questions, and it would mean the world to me if you took the time to do it.

As usual, you can reach me by replying to this email.

PS: Did you know? You can access past issues of this newsletter here.

Regards,
Paul Mah.