Information centre operator ST Telemedia International Information Centres (STT GDC) is testing extra environment friendly high-voltage direct present (HVDC) know-how that guarantees to energy up energy-hungry AI knowledge centres consuming a rising quantity of energy internationally.
A primary in Southeast Asia, the stay testbed launched by the Singapore firm immediately might allow it to pack in additional AI servers and faucet on sustainable power sources, reminiscent of photo voltaic or hydrogen, in future.
The FutureGrid Accelerator, arrange at a check centre in Jurong Island, makes use of the nascent HVDC know-how that has caught the attention of knowledge centre operators of late as a result of it could actually ship giant quantities of energy effectively.
Conventional grids use different present (AC) to distribute electrical energy which implies knowledge centres usually have to put in giant transformers and different tools to transform it into direct present (DC) to energy up their AI servers.
The cumbersome tools requires numerous area. And the conversion from AC to DC additionally ends in power loss. With HVDC, electrical energy from totally different sources arrives instantly at a knowledge centre to be transformed to a decrease voltage for pc tools – with much less power loss.
Collectively, these advantages imply that an STT GDC knowledge centre can pack extra superior AI servers in a single rack that attracts as much as 1 megawatt. That is 50 occasions the standard server rack that helps 20 kilowatts.
On the launch immediately, the corporate confirmed off Nvidia H100 AI servers working on an HVDC setup that’s powered by Taiwanese electronics vendor Liteon Expertise and native startup Amperesand.
The STT GDC testbed will validate that HVDC can energy up AI methods working at a great deal of at the very least 325kW, in line with the corporate, which expects power financial savings of as much as 30 per cent over present energy technology applied sciences.
HVDC additionally guarantees to scale back 400 tonnes of CO2 equal (CO2e) per megawatt per 12 months and use 45 per cent much less copper. Plus, it ought to take up about 30 to 40 per cent much less area.
In a rustic the place land is scarce and nearly all its power is imported, HVDC could possibly be a option to overcome irritating limitations to Singapore’s AI ambitions.
Final 12 months, the federal government earmarked 20 hectares of Jurong Island, a decades-old world hub for Large Oil corporations, for inexperienced knowledge centres. One other 300ha goes to new energies reminiscent of hydrogen-ready pure fuel and ammonia.
Across the similar time, Singapore additionally mentioned it was increase experience in nuclear power to “critically research” its potential deployment in future.
Requested concerning the significance of working a trial of latest power applied sciences on Jurong Island, STT GDC’s nation head for Singapore, Lim Mingcheng, mentioned it was too early to contemplate nuclear power as a supply for knowledge centres immediately.
Nevertheless, the potential to faucet on extra sustainable power sources was necessary to future knowledge centres which will want extra energy than a standard grid can ship, he instructed reporters immediately.
On the corporate’s HVDC check, authorities businesses have been to study extra and potential hyperscaler clients can be eager to study of its outcomes, mentioned Yeo Teong Chuan, STT GDC’s head of analysis and growth for know-how, tasks, operations and setting.
The testbed can be a great way to organize for the ability wants of extra demanding AI knowledge centres within the years forward, the place a single server rack might devour as much as 4MW of energy, he added.
Nevertheless, HVDC know-how continues to be a brand new know-how for which requirements aren’t but widespread and the place there may be little sensible experience accessible, he famous.
For this, STT GDC additionally inked offers with 4 native institutes of upper studying immediately to coach abilities for next-generation energy and digital infrastructure.
These partnerships are anticipated to learn greater than 8,000 Singaporeans over 5 years by means of industry-aligned coaching in AI infrastructure and sustainable power methods, in line with the corporate.
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