Equinix has expanded its data centre capacity in Singapore, adding more resources in its fifth local facility. The expansion comes at an investment of$86 million and is touted to meet the country's focus on data centres that are run efficiently. 

At least 1,475 cabinets have been added to the vendor's fifth IBX (international business exchange) data centre here, offering more than 83,000 square feet of colocation space. 

Its SG5 facility meets the Singapore government's objective to have new data centres in the city-state be energy-efficient, Equinix said in a statement Thursday. 

Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong in January said the country would be "more selective" of data centres it would accommodate. Stressing the need for new facilities to demonstrate high "resource efficiency", Gan said data centres were critical in digital economies but consumed significant resources. 

He added that Singapore must manage the growth of data centres in a "sustainable" way that was in line with its climate change commitments. The nation's 10-year roadmap to drive sustainable developments includes plans to deploy enough solar energy to power 350,000 households a year, cut waste sent to landfill by 30%, and have at least 20% of schools be carbon-neutral.

As of 2021, Singapore has more than 70 operational data centres, with a total available IT capacity of some 1,000 megawatts (MW).

Of these, Equinix's newly expanded SG5 site now boasts 2,950 cabinets and is certified with Singapore Building and Construction Authority's Green Mark Platinum, a benchmarking scheme for green buildings. 

The data centre is part of a local network of five IBX facilities located across the island, all of which have been running on 100% renewable energy since 2020, Equinix said. SG5 has a maximum capacity of 5,000 cabinets with a colocation space of almost 129,000 square feet. 

According to the data centre operator, its Singapore facilities house more than 225 global networks connecting South Asia and operate business hubs for more than 855 organisations. 

Equinix runs 52 IBX data centres across Asia-Pacific, including Australia, China, and India, which are part of a global network of 240 sites.

Equinix South Asia's managing director Yee May Leong said SG5's expanded capacity would meet growing demand for digital infrastructures. 

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