Keppel Ltd and Shell Singapore Pte. Ltd. will leverage Shell’s advanced immersion cooling solution in a pilot project that could potentially save capital and operating expenditure by up to 40 per cent in data centers. At the same time, it could boost computing performance by up to 40 per cent and improve energy efficiency by up to 48 per cent, according to a Keppel’s press release recently, citing Shell’s own and third party commissioned research.
The Shell proprietary Gas to Liquids (GTL)–based immersion cooling fluid will be deployed in one of Keppel’s operational data centres which is expected to start by May 2026 for 12 months. If successful, it will be used in all Keppel’s future data centers as well as data centers belonging to other operators.
Immersion liquid cooling involves completely submerging servers in non-conductive liquids, allowing for more efficient absorption and removal of heat from servers and is more efficient than using air, which is the conventional method.
Perfect antidote for power hungry data centers?
Liquid cooling solutions have been identified in the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s Green Data Centre Roadmap as a potential solution to enhance energy efficiency of data centres especially in tropical countries like Singapore. Traditional air-cooling methods consume higher levels of energy and water, compared to consumption in temperate countries.
Wong Wai Meng, CEO, Data Centres of Keppel, said, “Keppel is committed to driving continuous improvement in the energy efficiency of our data centres and developing new state-of-the-art data centres that are future-ready and capable of handling denser server workloads. While our data centres are mostly designed for air cooling and non-immersion based liquid cooling operations, we expect the design adaptability of our data centres to also allow for the smooth deployment of this immersion cooling solution incorporating Shell’s GTL–based immersion cooling fluid, further bearing testament to our ability to meet the evolving needs of our customers for greener and more efficient digital infrastructure. With this testbed, we are also aligning with the national sustainability agenda, while building capability to support Keppel’s future AI data centres in Singapore and contribute to a greener digital future.”
Aw Kah Peng, Chairman of Shell Companies in Singapore, said, “Data centres power the global digital economy, and Shell is enabling their growth with more performance and less emissions. We are pleased to deploy our immersion cooling solutions at Keppel’s data centre to demonstrate the capability of our GTL–based immersion cooling fluid, which gives operators the reliability, precision, and lower carbon pathways needed as AI demand increases.”