SS 726, Singapore’s first liquid‑cooling standard for tropical data centres, was issued by the Infocomm Media Development Authority and Enterprise Singapore in 2026. The rule, developed through the Singapore Standards Council with inputs from operators, tech firms, academics and experts, lays out design, commissioning, operation and risk‑management protocols for liquid‑cooled facilities.
Singapore’s climate forces most of the year beyond the 27 °C inlet temperature threshold that allows air‑free cooling. A study by Christina Karamperidou and colleagues found that humid and hot conditions persist for more than 85 % of the year, a figure that outstrips the 40 % seen in the Pearl River Delta and leaves air‑based systems increasingly ineffective.
The push toward liquid cooling is also driven by the energy cost of AI workloads. A Singapore source estimates that a rack of AI accelerators can draw up to 50 × the electricity of a conventional server rack, a surge that generates heat at rates that liquid systems can absorb more efficiently. The new standard claims that proper implementation can cut a data centre’s energy usage by over 30 %.
However, rolling out liquid cooling in a humid environment brings risks: corrosion, microbial growth, biofilm, and the need for pumps and piping that can leak. SS 726 therefore includes detailed guidance on coolant selection, piping materials, fluid quality, floor loading and monitoring, as well as best practices from the Open Compute Project and ASHRAE.
AirTrunk, one of the largest operators quoted in the factsheet, said it will begin a pilot retrofit at its Jurong facility next quarter to align with the standard’s requirements. The government will issue a certification framework that will allow operators to demonstrate compliance, a move aimed at accelerating adoption across the island’s data‑centre sector.