Facebook to power Singaporean ops with renewable energy from Sunseap

Agreement will help Facebook achieve goal of using 100% renewable energy in global operations

Facebook has signed a deal to purchase 100 MW power from solar provider Sunseap, which will be used to power the company’s operations in Singapore. This will include Facebook’s first custom-built data centre in the region.

Solar power will be generated by panels that will be placed on rooftops of 1,200 public housing blocks and 49 public buildings.

The virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) outlines the construction and subsequent usage of the solar panels by Facebook. The company will receive Renewable Energy Credits (REC) from the project, which can be used to offset its own energy costs.

This agreement will help Facebook achieve its goal to use 100% renewable energy in global operations and achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Three years ago, Facebook signed a similar deal in the U.S., building a solar plant to power the Los Lunas data centre in New Mexico.

Facebook has committed to using renewable energy for its own operations, but also wants to encourage others to do the same. As Urvi Parekh, head of Renewable Energy at Facebook said, “We want to help drive the energy transition and increase access to wind and solar power around the world.”

He added that Facebook is thrilled to be partnering with Sunseap to add more solar power to the Singapore grid. “This project will be an important part of successfully reaching our targets in the region, including supporting our data center operations with renewable energy.”

Sunseap, the largest solar provider in Singapore, has contracted to build a system to provide 300 MW of power through rooftop solar panels in the country. Over half of the system is completed and functional, providing 168 MW to date.

Lawrence Wu, president of Sunseap, said that power purchasing agreements are “a game-changer in Asia’s drive to decarbonize and fight climate change,” particularly for companies that require geographic flexibility, or lack the space to install solar panels on their own.

Microsoft signed a similar PPA in 2018, agreeing to purchase 60 MW in solar power from the Sunseap Group. Until the Facebook VPPA, this was the largest solar project in Singapore. Sunseap also recently announced Charge+, a new venture within Sunseap Group. Charge+ intends to build 10,000 charging stations for electric vehicles across Singapore by 2030.