Bridge Data Centres to invest up to S$5 billion in Singapore’s AI infrastructure
The data centre operator plans to expand capacity, explore alternative energy sources and deepen partnerships as demand for artificial intelligence and cloud services grows.
Bridge Data Centres aims to build an integrated ecosystem in Singapore that combines innovation, engineering expertise and advanced digital infrastructure. (Photos: Bridge Data Centres)
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Each time someone streams a video, uses a cloud application or turns to artificial intelligence (AI), the computing happens behind the scenes in data centres – large facilities that house servers, cooling systems and power equipment. As Singapore positions itself as an AI-driven economy, these facilities are coming under closer scrutiny for both capacity and sustainability.
Bridge Data Centres (BDC), a Singapore-headquartered hyperscale data centre platform backed by Bain Capital, plans to invest between S$3 billion and S$5 billion in next-generation digital infrastructure in the country. Building on relationships with global hyperscale customers and ecosystem partners, BDC is targeting about two gigawatts of regional capacity by 2030.
BDC CEO Eric Fan said the investment is intended to reinforce the country’s position as an AI and cloud hub in the Asia Pacific. “Our planned investment will support the development of next-generation digital infrastructure, technology innovation and ecosystem collaboration in Singapore,” he said.
He added that many of these initiatives are expected to be developed with a wider network of technology and industry partners.
BUILDING DATA CENTRES FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY
BDC’s planned expansion in Singapore draws on projects across the region focused on construction speed, energy efficiency, and alternative water and cooling solutions.
The company develops and operates hyperscale campuses in Malaysia, Thailand and India. It entered Malaysia’s hyperscale market early and now has several campuses in operation and under development.
Last September, BDC partnered Johor Special Water to develop Malaysia’s first water treatment plant integrated into a data centre facility. The plant uses membrane bioreactor and reverse osmosis technologies to treat effluent, or liquid waste, and produce high-grade water for cooling at its upcoming MY07 campus. This reduces reliance on potable water.
BDC is also the first in Southeast Asia to adopt prefabricated, prefinished volumetric construction. By assembling building modules off site, it completed its MY06 campus in eight months, about 40 per cent faster than conventional timelines, while reducing dust, waste and noise on site.
The MY06 campus also uses cold plate liquid cooling to support high-density AI workloads. BDC said this allows the facility to achieve annualised power usage effectiveness, a measure of energy efficiency, of below 1.2.
Building 1 of the MY06 campus received the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Award under the BCA-IMDA Green Mark for Data Centres 2024 framework. This makes BDC the first data centre operator to receive the recognition for a facility outside Singapore.
The company has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with BCA International to promote Singapore’s Green Mark standards in overseas data centre projects. BDC said the partnership is intended to support wider adoption of these sustainable building benchmarks and strengthen the country’s position as a hub for AI and green digital infrastructure.
BDC is also developing liquid cooling and other energy-efficient cooling systems for tropical environments, alongside AI-enabled infrastructure operations and monitoring systems aimed at improving efficiency and reliability.
EXPLORING LOWER-CARBON ENERGY AND NEW RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
As AI workloads increase power demand, BDC is exploring alternative and low-carbon energy sources to improve resilience and support long-term sustainability.
The company has signed an MOU with Concord New Energy to jointly develop Singapore’s first floating hydrogen-powered generation solution for next-generation AI data centres. The partners will also work with Nanyang Technological University on hydrogen energy research and engineering.
Next-generation AI infrastructure requires higher rack densities, enhanced cooling systems and more resilient power architecture than traditional data centres. To meet these demands, BDC is developing these capabilities with global technology partners. This includes exploring an 800V high-voltage direct current architecture with digital infrastructure provider Vertiv for ultra-high-density computing environments.
According to Mr Fan, the investment will also include partnerships with universities and research institutions to support engineering, research, operations and internships, benefiting around 3,000 students and professionals.
“BDC’s investment reflects our long-term commitment to building an integrated ecosystem in Singapore that combines innovation, engineering capabilities and advanced digital infrastructure,” he said.
He added that, over time, many of these solutions could serve as reference models for other high-growth data centre markets in the region.
Learn more about Bridge Data Centres’ digital infrastructure projects in the Asia Pacific.
