Keppel Data Centres Holding Pte Ltd. (Keppel Data Centres) and Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd (Shell) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly study the feasibility of developing a low carbon energy hub and microgrid system in Singapore.
Keppel Data Centres and Shell will collaborate by leveraging each other’s expertise to evaluate the commercial and technical feasibility of establishing a low carbon energy hub that can power both companies’ assets, it said in a statement. Keppel Data Centres Holding (Keppel Data Centres) is a 70-30 joint venture between Keppel Telecommunications & Transportation (Keppel T&T) and Keppel Land, both subsidiaries of Keppel Corporation, one of Singapore’s flagship multinational companies with a global footprint in more than 20 countries.
Further, the hub will take inputs from various sustainable energy sources, which would include imported renewable power, and hydrogen either produced locally or imported. The hub would be developed around various energy-related infrastructure components, such as cable landings and turbines with a microgrid system at its core.
A microgrid is a self-sufficient energy system that serves a specific geographic footprint, such as a college campus, hospital complex, business center or neighborhood. Wong Wai Meng, CEO of Keppel Data Centres, said:
“We are committed to make our data centre operations more sustainable through a broad range of low carbon energy technologies. Our collaboration with Shell presents new opportunities to design innovative solutions and potential game-changers in making data centre operations carbon neutral as we help our clients on their journeys to net zero.”
Both Keppel Data Centres and Shell will also explore the project’s scalability and exportability to other sites and overseas markets. Thomas Wong, General Manager, Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Singapore said:
“Shell has started lowering its own emissions through the ongoing transformation of the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Singapore, and we have announced investment in the production of circular chemicals and low carbon products. Energy transition requires all of us to keep finding innovative ways to cut emissions and develop a cleaner energy system. We look forward to working with our customers and partners, such as Keppel Data Centres, to look into low-carbon solutions so that we can decarbonise together.”