Data Centers Get Epic: Equinix Launches AI Mothership in Singapore
- By Lachlan Colquhoun
- January 20, 2025

Global infrastructure company Equinix is responding to the juggernaut of data center demand with a USD260 million investment in its sixth center in Singapore.
To be known as SG6, the Equinix International Business Exchange center will feature a world-class, sustainability-driven design built to efficiently handle intensive workloads such as AI, supported by capabilities including advanced liquid cooling. It will help deliver the critical digital infrastructure needed to enable AI capabilities across industries and the region.
The nine-story facility is expected to open in the first quarter of 2027 and will provide 20MW of capacity when completed. It will be integrated into the Equinix global network of 268 interconnected data centers, 59 of which are in the Asia Pacific. Singapore is a major center for corporations looking to leverage advanced technologies such as quantum computing and AI.
“Singapore is the region's hub for innovation, making it a global magnet for multinational companies and pioneering businesses and a key market for Equinix,” said Yee May Leong, managing director for Equinix in Singapore.
"We expect that with the large demand for compute-intensive workloads, like AI, the demand for data center capacity will continue to rise, and Equinix is well equipped to support these next-generation workloads. By integrating the latest sustainability innovations, our new AI-ready data center can enable businesses to leverage next-generation workloads responsibly and more sustainably."
Equinix data centers in Singapore have achieved 100% renewables coverage since 2020, and SG6 is expected to incorporate further key sustainability and efficiency efforts, including advanced liquid cooling technology and a renewable power purchase agreement with Sembcorp Industries.
Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that Singapore’s digital sector doubled in size between 2017 and 2002 to a value of SGD106 billion.
Responding to demand
Analyst group JLL says AI is not only driving data center demand but is also boosting the development of more powerful and efficient data center infrastructure that balances computing power and sustainability.
On a global basis, JLL estimates that another 10GW in capacity is set to break ground worldwide in greenfield sites in 2025, with 7GW reaching completion.
Based on this current pace of under construction and planned developments, the global data center market will likely expand at a baseline 15% CAGR through 2027 — potentially reaching 20%.
“We expect that with the large demand for compute-intensive workloads, like AI, the demand for data center capacity will continue to rise.”
Rapid expansion brings challenges, including demand outstripping supply and electricity development constraints in some markets.
“The pace of AI innovation is not slowing down, and the data center industry must continue to adapt,” said Jonathan Kinsey, JLL EMEA lead and global chair for data center solutions.
“AI’s transformative power demands have already reshaped our world, yet its most significant and enduring effect may lie in how we rise to meet the substantial energy demands required to fuel this technological revolution.”
While AI is a significant driver, most new data centers are designed to deliver both AI and traditional workloads. AI will comprise just under 50% of data center demand in 2030 as organizations need lower-intensity workloads such as data storage and cloud-based applications.
Regional expansion
The announcement of SG6 comes after Equinix continued to expand its network in the Asia Pacific over 2024, announcing new investments into the markets of Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines.
The investments include plans for a new greenfield site in Hong Kong, while Equinix will purchase land and existing data centers in Malaysia and the Philippines. The company also recently opened its first facility in Indonesia.
In Hong Kong, the company has announced an initial investment of USD124 million for its purpose-built International Business Exchange data center.
Named HK6, this new facility will be interconnected to Equinix’s five existing data centers, which serve as a hub for data and economic exchange between multinational enterprises and local and mainland Chinese companies in the Greater Bay Area.
Over the past year, the Equinix Internet Exchange traffic in Hong Kong has grown by almost 50%.
In the Philippines, Equinix has announced its entry into the market by acquiring three data centers from Total Information Management (TIM).
Image credit: iStockphoto/FlashMovie
Lachlan Colquhoun
Lachlan Colquhoun is the Australia and New Zealand correspondent for CDOTrends and the NextGenConnectivity editor. He remains fascinated with how businesses reinvent themselves through digital technology to solve existing issues and change their business models.