Google Doubles Down on Singapore – A Third Data‑Centre Announcement
In a move that will leave Singapore’s skyline buzzing a bit more, Google announced on Wednesday that it’s kick‑starting construction on a brand‑new data‑centre in Jurong West. The company is set to splash an extra US$350 million (roughly S$476.6 million) into the city’s tech scene.
Why Another Data‑Centre?
Google’s first Southeast Asian hub popped up back in 2011, with a second one sliding in 2015. Now the tech giant is rolling out a third mega‑plex that’s destined to go live in 2020. The plot of land for the new centre will be the size of the first two combined – huge, but the company says it will be a “clean‑energy, textbook‑efficient tower” of the best kind.
What the Numbers Tell Us
- First two centres: US$500 million invested.
- Third centre: another US$350 million.
- Grand total for Singapore: US$850 million in infrastructure.
While Google didn’t spill the beans on the exact job count for the new site, it hinted that the “small team” it already has in the region will grow – probably a nice mix of engineers, data scientists and, you guessed it, the occasional hydro‑energy wizard.
What’s Expected from the New Hub?
Joe Kava, Google’s VP of Global Data Centres, bragged in a Googlegram that over the past three years, more than 70 million Southeast Asians got online for the first time. That’s a whopping number that now tips past the whole U.S. population!
He also floated that companies such as Singapore Airlines, Go-Jek, Ninjavan and Wego have been riding the wave, demanding a rapid boost to Google Cloud Platform (GCP). The new data‑centre will likely be a power‑house for all this jump‑starting activity.
A Greener Future
In the line‑up for the new building, Google plans to use machine learning to slashing energy use, re‑cycle water, and divert 100 % of waste from landfills. “One of the most efficient and environmentally friendly sites in Asia,” the company says. (Who knew a data centre could be so eco‑chic?)
That’s all from the first take‑off from The Straits Times. If you want to keep up with all the updates on Google’s Singapore expansion, stay tuned!
