Key facts
- Singapore is using a 5km underground pipe network in Punggol for district cooling.
- District cooling uses chilled water to cool buildings, consuming less electricity than individual air conditioning units.
- The system is crucial for Singapore, a tropical nation with high energy import reliance and rapidly increasing temperatures.
Deep beneath Singapore’s northeastern district of Punggol, a 5km network of metal pipes circulates chilled water to cool offices and classrooms above. This established district cooling system, a concept dating back 140 years, offers a more energy-efficient alternative to centralized air conditioners. For Singapore, a tropical island nation that imports nearly all its energy and is experiencing rising temperatures at twice the global average rate, this efficiency is a significant advantage. The city-state is expanding its underground infrastructure to support these cooling solutions.