Singapore & Hong Kong, 9 December 2020 – In a world-first, Asia-Pacific hyperscale data centre specialist, AirTrunk today opened the doors to data centres in two new regions – AirTrunk SGP1, Singapore’s largest and most efficient independent data centre and AirTrunk HKG1, the foundation for AirTrunk’s future growth in Hong Kong.
After pioneering independent hyperscale data centres in Asia Pacific, the company’s rapid expansion continues with pace. SGP1 and HKG1 join AirTrunk’s other hyperscale data centres in Australia (MEL1, SYD1 and SYD2) and Japan (TOK1 under construction).
Founder and CEO of AirTrunk, Robin Khuda, said today’s double data centre opening marks a major milestone for the company.
“Today we opened our first data centres in Asia, not just one but two hyperscale facilities – a monumental achievement for the AirTrunk team, our partners and customers. Our Hong Kong and Singapore data centres are connected, secure, and efficient homes for the cloud in Asia,” he said.
Offering more than 80 megawatts (MW) combined, the Singapore and Hong Kong data centres will be the critical infrastructure for some of the world’s largest technology companies. The data centres showcase all the hallmarks of AirTrunk’s state-of-the-art data centres – scale, efficiency, reliability, and security.
In Loyang Singapore, the 60+ MW SGP1 data centre is set on 1.5 hectares, close to the Changi North Cable Landing Station for strong international interconnection. With over 20,000 square metres of data hall area, the scalable campus is designed for hyperscale customers, supporting their rapid growth in Singapore and throughout South East Asia.
The campus opens today with its first 30 MW phase and will soon be followed by a second phase that is already under construction to cater for strong customer demand.
Near Tsuen Wan in Hong Kong, AirTrunk’s 20+ MW HKG1 data centre is strategically located in a key hub for international connectivity. AirTrunk converted an eight-storey industrial building into a world-class hyperscale data centre in record time to support cloud customers ramping up in the region.
SGP1 and HKG1 were both completed quickly despite challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID-19 has accelerated already increasing demand for hyperscale data centre infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific region. We build our hyperscale facilities at record speed, but safely and to the highest quality standard,” Khuda said.
SGP1 was delivered in just over a year, and was topped out in less than 30 weeks, with no lost time to injuries despite more than 1,000 people working more than 1.6 million work hours. At both projects strict protocols were developed to protect workers from the risks of COVID-19, including onsite testing facilities, while AirTrunk also partnered with suppliers to build key data centre components offsite in controlled environments.
The facilities ensure the highest operational standards to provide customers confidence in terms of reliability and security. Both data centres have been designed to meet the stringent security requirements of global technology customers (PCI DSS, ISO27001, SOC2 Type 2) and will deploy advanced access control, threat monitoring and detection systems.
AirTrunk’s two new hyperscale data centres deliver strong energy efficiency credentials at a time when sustainability is top of mind for both governments and cloud customers.
SGP1 is designed with a range of innovations to deliver a highly efficient PUE of 1.25 and the highest BCA Green Mark Platinum rating. The facility is also the most land-use efficient in the market, offering the highest IT load per square metre. HKG1 is also one of the most efficient data centres in Hong Kong with a PUE of 1.35.
Khuda explained that hyperscale data centres like SGP1 and HKG1 are inherently more efficient than legacy colocation facilities designed for enterprise customers: “The shift to cloud-based solutions lowers total electricity consumption overheads and emissions, providing a more energy efficient solution for our customers and reducing the environmental impact.”
Earlier this year, a consortium led by Macquarie Asia Infrastructure Fund 2 (MAIF2), a Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets-managed infrastructure fund, and including Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments), acquired a majority stake in AirTrunk, providing necessary capital and expertise to further realise AirTrunk’s expansion plans across Asia Pacific.
ENDS