Sembcorp Industries has signed a multi-year energy deal with Google that involves supplying locally sourced renewable power for the tech giant's Singapore's operations.

The deal is part of Google's goal for its data centres to run entirely on carbon-free electricity by 2030, it said yesterday, adding that the initiative is its first renewable energy agreement in South-east Asia.

It involves surplus energy generated from rooftop solar installations of around 500 Housing Board blocks that is exported into the national grid, which then goes into the electricity supply of Google operations, the tech company said.

Google added that the deal will pioneer the "seamless integration of solar power directly into an existing power supply", which Google and Sembcorp hope will help make renewable energy more widely accessible for Singaporeans.

Mr Koh Chiap Khiong, Sembcorp Industries' head of Singapore, South-east Asia and China for energy, said the firm can customise and scale its solutions to support the ambitions of RE100 members such as Google.

RE100 is a global initiative that brings together more than 240 global businesses switching to 100 per cent renewable power.

Google said the green energy deal was "just a first small step", and that it is looking to do more here and across the Asia-Pacific region.

THE BUSINESS TIMES

This article has been edited after clarifications from Google.