Danish pump company Grundfos and Denmark’s embassy in Singapore have brought together industry leaders and researchers to discuss seawater cooling. The discussion explored its potential to help meet the cooling needs of data centres.
The event took place at the Danish ambassador’s residence alongside Data Centre World Asia 2026, according to a Grundfos announcement dated 30 September. It focused on both the opportunities and the barriers to wider use.
Danish Ambassador Jakob Brix Tange opened the session alongside Bent Jensen, head of Grundfos’ Commercial Building Services division, and Kim Jensen, the division’s senior director for data centres.
The panel included Peter Lundberg of the Asia Pacific Urban Energy Association, National University of Singapore associate professor Md Raisul Islam, and Steven Tay Leng Chua of engineering consultancy HDR Singapore.
Cooling demands grow
The discussion comes as Singapore develops new approaches to cooling increasingly powerful computing equipment.
On 27 August, Singapore launched a standard for liquid cooling in tropical data centres. Developed by Enterprise Singapore and the Infocomm Media Development Authority, it aims to help operators handle the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence workloads.
At the Grundfos event, participants examined energy and water efficiency, water quality, environmental concerns, discharge rules and upfront costs. The published account describes a discussion of potential applications rather than announcing a new installation.
Danish expertise in Singapore
Seawater cooling is already under investigation elsewhere in Singapore. In June 2025, the Maritime and Port Authority and Firmus Technologies agreed to study its use for AI computing facilities near the waterfront. Their study includes water intake locations, discharge management and environmental assessments.
Grundfos also has an established research presence in the country. As ScandAsia previously reported, its Singapore Innovation Hub supports work with customers and researchers on more efficient cooling solutions.
Source: Grundfos announcement reproduced by Informed Infrastructure
