The availability of water for data centre cooling is likely to present a challenge in Europe in the coming years, amidst extreme heat, and an increase in both droughts and wildfires, GlobalData has said.
Much of the discussion around data centre viability has to date focused on the sector’s energy demands, however water scarcity is likely to pose an ‘equally urgent risk to the sustainability and resilience of rapidly expanding digital infrastructure’, GlobalData noted.
Volatile conditions
“Climate change has produced weather patterns from wildfires to flash floods that are becoming more extreme worldwide,” commented Robert Pritchard, principal analyst, Enterprise Technology & Services at GlobalData. “Superheated ground results in less rain getting absorbed into aquifers and instead running over dry soil, often destroying lives and livelihoods.
“Climate change also means that the requirement for water to cool the ever-expanding base of data centers is likely to become an issue that needs addressing.”
Infrastructure demands around data centres are likely to continue to focus on energy requirements, it added, with new technologies and nuclear solutions mooted as potential solutions. Some locations, including Dublin, Ireland have paused data centre construction to protect the provision of energy for citizens.
“As with most things in tech, solutions will be found for the emerging challenges,” Pritchard added. “The problem, however, is that any solutions must be set within the context of climate change and the immediate impact it is having on citizens’ lives. It is a political issue and a social issue, not just a technology issue.”
Data centre usage
On water usage, the OECD estimates that AI tools alone will require between 4.2 billion and 6.6 billion cubic meters of water annually by 2027, largely for cooling purposes. This is comparable to the entire annual water usage of Denmark or nearly half that of the UK.
“There is no water equivalent of carbon credits to hide behind – obfuscation tactics that have often saved blushes amongst greenwashers,” said Pritchard. “More importantly, where energy can have on-site backup generators for grid failures, there is no equivalent (despite data lakes) for water. On top of that is the potential threat of terrorist attacks on critical water infrastructure, which looks like far more of an important issue.” Read more here.
