Why more data centres soak up so much power and water
means the need for data centres is surging. This week’s well-choreographed announcement in Washington that Microsoft is ramping up the number of large data centres it operates in Australia is just one aspect of that global rush.
Yet no data centre can ever afford to risk a power outage and, so far, there’s no technology or reliable supply fix to guarantee this 24/7. This means multiple levels of backup are required within each facility, including at least two sources of electricity coming from the grid, large-scale batteries and two diesel generators as the last line of defence.
It means an urgent push in many countries to build ever-more, ever-larger data centres with their physical infrastructure of land, buildings, water and energy. AustralianSuper, for example, has just invested $2.5 billion for a minority stake in Vantage Data Centres, a major developer in Europe and the US.
Microsoft, for example, is pledged to be carbon-negative globally by 2030. In other countries, its energy emissions reduction policies include investing in renewables such as pumped hydro as well as solar power and investigating the potential use of small modular nuclear reactors.
Microsoft data centres in Australia will increase to 29, including another three being built in Sydney, three in Melbourne and expansion across Canberra and other locations.
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