The future of data centers may be underground and underwater

With hundreds of data centers necessary for AI already located in climates that are too hot to ensure their smooth operation, new ones may be built underground, underwater, and in space.

As of now, there are nearly 9,000 data centers in operation worldwide, a number expected to triple by 2030.

The ideal temperature range for data centers is from 64.4°F to 80.6°F (18°C to 27°C), as recommended by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

However, a recent analysis by Rest of World media reveals nearly 7,000 of the 8,808 operational data centers are located in areas outside the optimal range. Of those, approximately 600 are located in areas where the average annual temperature exceeds 27°C.

For instance, in 21 countries, including Singapore, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates, all data centers are located in areas with excessively high temperatures.

Cooling data centers in hot climates is technically harder, more expensive, and requires more energy. Moreover, heat reduces the efficiency of power transmission, raising the risk of outages.

The data center industry largely relies on air cooling, which requires water, and many countries in hot climates are also often water-stressed.

A large data center is estimated to consume up to five million gallons of water every day, the amount comparable to that of a city of up to 50,000 people, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute.

In the United States (US), the country with the most data centers worldwide, two-thirds of new data centers built or being developed since 2022 have been located in areas with high levels of water stress, according to Bloomberg.

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Manufacturers are now exploring the possibility of building data centers underground in countries with overly high temperatures, the Rest of World analysis suggests.

Multiple under-the-surface data centers are already operating in the US. For example, Iron Mountain's WPA-1 data center, located 220 feet underground, utilizes a natural lake for cooling.

Back in October, China announced the completion of the first phase of construction on the world's first underwater data center, where seawater serves as a natural cooling system.

​Others are looking for more creative solutions. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has recently predicted that data centers could be built in space within the next 10 to 20 years and be powered by solar energy.

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