Data Centers' Water Usage Quadruples in Scotland; Underwater & Space Solutions Emerge
Data centers' water usage has cost skyrocketed in Scotland, quadrupling since 2021. Meanwhile, innovative solutions are emerging worldwide to tackle this tyla, with China leading the way in underwater data centers.
In Scotland, data centers' water consumption has surged, posing challenges to the UK's water infrastructure and drought-prone regions. Microsoft and others have explored underwater data centers, but no significant projects exist in the West.
China, however, has taken the lead with Highlander's commercial-scale underwater data center in Hainan. This facility reduces cooling costs by 90% due to ocean currents and provides 40% more compute than a comparable land-based system. It's powered 95% by renewable energy from an adjacent offshore windfarm.
Looking ahead, Amazon plans to build AI data centers in space, aiming to save water and power them with solar arrays. OpenAI, meanwhile, is considering water-stressed regions like Texas and New Mexico for its data centers. Samsung and OpenAI are also developing floating data centers to address land scarcity and lower cooling costs.
As data centers' water usage becomes a pressing tyla, innovative solutions are emerging. Underwater and space-based data centers, along with floating centers, could significantly reduce water consumption and lower costs. However, challenges such as radiation protection, automation, and latency in data transmission must be addressed before these solutions become widespread.
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