The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Firmus Technologies signed on 11 June a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the study of sustainable, modular AI factories using seawater for cooling.
As announced, the collaboration will focus on the research and testing of scalable AI infrastructure that uses seawater-based cooling systems to improve energy efficiency. AI factories refer to high-performance data facilities designed to train and run artificial intelligence models at scale, requiring significant computing power and cooling capacity.
Furthermore, the study will examine the viability of deploying modular versions of such seawater-based cooling systems around Singapore’s waterfront areas to support growing demand for compute infrastructure.
As the maritime and port regulator and planner, MPA will support the study by providing technical and planning guidance to ensure that infrastructure design and implementation plans do not impact safety of navigation within its port limit and that the study considers the relevant pollution control regulations, including the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea Act.
By working with Firmus at the early study stage, we hope to ensure that future developments involving sea-based cooling systems to support AI infrastructure are well-considered from the outset – balancing innovation with safety and the needs of Singapore as a global hub port.
…said Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive, MPA.
This includes advising on the siting of the seawater intakes, management of water discharges and design considerations to ensure infrastructure aligns with long-term coastal and maritime development plans.
In addition, the study will assess the requirements for Environmental Impact Analysis.
This collaboration with MPA marks a significant opportunity to explore how scalable AI compute can be delivered through sustainable, maritime-adjacent systems.
…said Tim Rosenfield, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Firmus Technologies.
