Keppel Data Centres has signed a memorandum of understanding with City Gas and City-OG Gas Energy Services to explore using liquefied natural gas and hydrogen to power Keppel DC’s Floating Data Centre Park.
The idea was first pitched back in 2019, and took a step forward this April when the company signed an agreement with Toll Group to study the feasibility of developing the floating facility, and another with Royal Vopak to explore the use of LNG to power infrastructure in Singapore.
City Gas is the producer and retailer of piped town gas in Singapore, and retails natural gas to commercial and industrial customers in Singapore through City-OG, a joint business venture between City Gas and Osaka Gas. City Gas is wholly owned by Keppel.
One step closer
With this latest MoU, the three parties will jointly explore and evaluate LNG procurement strategies and the long-term potential of transitioning to hydrogen. The parties will also examine harnessing cold energy from hydrogen production for cooling the floating data center.
“We are pleased to tap the expertise of the Keppel ecosystem of companies - City Gas and City-OG," said Wong Wai Meng, Keppel DC CEO. "As industry leaders in technologies, such as the tri-generation LNG and steam methane reforming, our partners will provide insights which will enhance the design and envisaged operations at the FDCP to achieve optimal energy efficiency and reduction in carbon emissions.
“The collaboration between Keppel DC, City Gas, and City-OG broadens the efforts of the Keppel Group in reducing the carbon footprint of data center operations. We are harnessing synergies across the Group to explore the development of the FDCP, LNG, and hydrogen-powered data centers, as well as technologies such as carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration.”
In June, Keppel DC and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Asia Pacific signed an MoU to study the implementation of a hydrogen-power plant concept for data centers in Singapore.
The projects are still in an early stage, and may not go ahead.