Data centre operator ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) is testing more efficient high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology that promises to power up energy-hungry AI data centres consuming a growing amount of power across the world.
A first in Southeast Asia, the live testbed launched by the Singapore company today could enable it to pack in more AI servers and tap on sustainable energy sources, such as solar or hydrogen, in future.
The FutureGrid Accelerator, set up at a test centre in Jurong Island, makes use of the nascent HVDC technology that has caught the eye of data centre operators of late because it can deliver large amounts of power efficiently.
Traditional grids use alternative current (AC) to distribute electricity which means data centres often have to install large transformers and other equipment to convert it into direct current (DC) to power up their AI servers.
The bulky equipment requires lots of space. And the conversion from AC to DC also results in energy loss. With HVDC, electricity from different sources arrives directly at a data centre to be converted to a lower voltage for computer equipment – with less energy loss.
Together, these benefits mean that an STT GDC data centre can pack more advanced AI servers in a single rack that draws up to 1 megawatt. This is 50 times the typical server rack that supports 20 kilowatts.
At the launch today, the company showed off Nvidia H100 AI servers running on an HVDC setup that is powered by Taiwanese electronics vendor Liteon Technology and local startup Amperesand.
The STT GDC testbed will validate that HVDC can power up AI systems running at loads of at least 325kW, according to the company, which expects energy savings of up to 30 per cent over existing power generation technologies.
HVDC also promises to reduce 400 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per megawatt per year and use 45 per cent less copper. Plus, it should take up about 30 to 40 per cent less space.
In a country where land is scarce and almost all its energy is imported, HVDC could be a way to overcome frustrating limitations to Singapore’s AI ambitions.
Last year, the government earmarked 20 hectares of Jurong Island, a decades-old global hub for Big Oil companies, for green data centres. Another 300ha is going to new energies such as hydrogen-ready natural gas and ammonia.
Around the same time, Singapore also said it was building up expertise in nuclear energy to “seriously study” its potential deployment in future.
Asked about the significance of running a trial of new energy technologies on Jurong Island, STT GDC’s country head for Singapore, Lim Mingcheng, said it was too early to consider nuclear energy as a source for data centres today.
However, the potential to tap on more sustainable energy sources was important to future data centres that may need more power than a traditional grid can deliver, he told reporters today.
On the company’s HVDC test, government agencies have been interested to learn more and potential hyperscaler customers would be keen to learn of its results, said Yeo Teong Chuan, STT GDC’s head of research and development for technology, projects, operations and environment.
The testbed is also a good way to prepare for the power needs of more demanding AI data centres in the years ahead, where a single server rack could consume up to 4MW of power, he added.
However, HVDC technology is still a new technology for which standards are not yet common and where there is little practical expertise available, he noted.
For this, STT GDC also inked deals with four local institutes of higher learning today to train talents for next-generation power and digital infrastructure.
These partnerships are expected to benefit more than 8,000 Singaporeans over five years through industry-aligned training in AI infrastructure and sustainable energy systems, according to the company.
