Singapore companies may need $7.2b for sustainable data storage

This is the highest estimated investment globally.

Companies in Singapore may need to invest as much as $7.2b (US$5.5b) to make their data storage operations sustainable, according to Seagate’s latest Decarbonizing Data report.

This is the highest estimated investment globally, tied with South Korea, and significantly above the global average of $4.9b.

The report showed that 90% of professionals in Singapore are concerned about the environmental impact of data storage.

At least 53.3% cited the high volume of raw materials used for infrastructure as a concern, 33.3% pointed to high energy consumption, and 33.3% noted carbon emissions from energy use. However, none of the respondents from Singapore considered “low environmental impact” a key factor in their data storage buying decisions.

About 56.7% of respondents in Singapore strongly agreed there has been a noticeable increase in demand for data storage services, making the country one of the top three markets globally after Australia and the United States.

All respondents in Singapore also either agreed (76.7%) or strongly agreed (23.3%) that AI will have a significant impact on data center operations.

Top concerns include high energy use, carbon emissions, and the large amount of raw materials required.

Whilst most Singapore companies (73.3%) already use renewable energy and 66.7% are building more green infrastructure, 70% said they lack real choice when it comes to electricity sources.

Training workers to implement sustainable solutions is another barrier, cited by 33.3% of respondents, the highest among all countries surveyed.

Despite 93.4% of professionals agreeing that extending the lifecycle of storage equipment supports sustainability, only 10% factor it into their purchasing decisions. Instead, financial benefits are the main motivator, with 50% saying cost savings drive their shift to greener options.

The report said companies need to stop viewing cost and sustainability as trade-offs and start aligning them.