European governments are taking steps to create new data centers to increase digital self-sufficiency, while concerns about the high consumption of water and electricity at these centers persist. With the growing demand for data and artificial intelligence, this issue has become one of the main challenges.
Resource Consumption Challenges
According to a report from the German Ministry of Economy, for every kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed, an average of between 0.4 to 4.4 liters of water is used for cooling data centers. This comes at a time when last summer in Europe was recorded as the hottest summer ever, raising concerns about water usage restrictions for residents and agriculture.
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New Plans from the European Commission
The European Commission has recently announced a new program to increase transparency in the energy and water consumption of data centers. Centers with a capacity exceeding 500 kilowatts will receive a score for efficiency that will consider energy consumption as well as the reuse of waste heat. Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, stated, "Increasing the capacity of data centers should not simultaneously increase pressure on networks and energy bills."
While most data centers have been built near major European cities, the situation is rapidly changing, with new centers being constructed in various locations such as Groningen in the Netherlands, Barcelona in Spain, and Brussels in Belgium. Additionally, protests against the construction of data centers have increased in cities like Linz in Austria and Étrétat in France.
Energy Saving Potential
Some data center operators believe that these centers can be designed to save energy. For instance, a data center in Marseille is being built with a cooling system that consumes 30% less energy and does not use water. Furthermore, in Scandinavian countries, waste heat from servers is transferred to district heating networks.
Considering that nearly three-quarters of people are inclined to accept data centers near residential areas if these centers transfer waste heat to the heating network, it seems feasible for this trend to continue. Proponents of these centers also believe that these facilities will not only contribute to the continent's digital self-sufficiency but will also enhance energy independence.
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