Recent developments in Singapore: Jurong Island
On 27 October 2025, the Economic Development Board (EDB) and JTC Corporation (JTC) issued a joint media release announcing that approximately 20 hectares of land on Jurong Island had been set aside for what is described as Singapore’s largest low-carbon data centre park, with the potential to accommodate up to 700 megawatts (MW) of capacity.
In the same announcement, JTC and EDB noted that some 300 hectares (around 10% of the island’s land area) will be reserved for new-energy projects (hydrogen, ammonia, battery storage) supporting the data centre ecosystem.
The data centre park is explicitly positioned to leverage Jurong Island’s shared infrastructure (energy storage, utilities, existing power supply) and access to emerging low-carbon energy sources.
Importantly, this development occurs within the context of the 2024 Green Data Centre Roadmap (GDCR) launched by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), which sets out that Singapore will add at least 300 MW of additional capacity in the near term and emphasises more rigorous sustainability conditions for new data centre projects.
This land allocation indicates that Singapore is moving from broad policy signalling to site-specific enabling of next-gen data centres – a window of opportunity for operators who are prepared. At the same time, the market is closely watching for the next capacity-allocation exercise, commonly referred to in industry as “DC-CFA2”, which has not yet been officially launched.
Historical context: Singapore’s data centre sector
From 2019 to 2022, Singapore maintained a de facto moratorium on new large-scale data centre approvals, prompted by concerns around escalating energy, water, and land usage. This pause enabled the government to revisit the policy framework, conduct industry consultations, and reset sustainability benchmarks.
In 2022, the moratorium was lifted and the original Data Centre Call for Applications (DC‑CFA) pilot was launched by IMDA and EDB, targeting roughly 60 MW of new capacity under a selective approval regime.
By 2023, approximately 80 MW was awarded to four operators under the pilot DC-CFA.
In 2024, the GDCR followed, signalling the government’s focus on “green growth”, which specified stricter energy-efficiency, renewable-energy sourcing and cooling-system innovation obligations.
This history shows the evolution from volume growth to quality-constrained growth: capacity expansion will be permitted, but only where projects demonstrably satisfy sustainability and infrastructure optimisation criteria.
How Reed Smith can help
As Singapore advances its data centre and green-infrastructure agenda, data centre operators, renewable energy providers, and investors will need to navigate complex commercial, technical, and regulatory requirements. Key preparatory areas include:
- Project structuring and partnerships: Developing joint-venture, land-use, and utility agreements that align with government expectations for low-carbon, high-efficiency operations.
- Renewable-energy sourcing: Negotiating power purchase agreements, exploring regional renewable-energy imports, and integrating on-site solutions such as solar, battery storage, hydrogen, and biomethane.
- Sustainability benchmarking: Demonstrating compliance with the GDCR and related efficiency standards for power, cooling, and water usage
- Regulatory engagement: Coordinating with relevant agencies to ensure project feasibility and readiness.
We assist clients across these stages – from structuring and due diligence through regulatory strategy and documentation – to support the development of sustainable, future-ready data centre projects in Singapore.
Conclusion
Singapore’s latest Jurong Island initiative underscores the government’s long-term commitment to balancing digital expansion with renewable-energy integration and resource efficiency.
As the policy focus shifts from capacity restraint to green-enabled growth, developers that embed sustainability, grid innovation, and collaborative utility solutions at the core of their projects will be best placed to capture the next wave of opportunity in Singapore’s evolving data centre landscape.
Client Alert 2025-278
