According to Microsoft, each of its new “closed loop” water recycling data centers would save 125 million liters of water a year.
Microsoft Corporation has introduced a novel data center design that does not require water to cool the servers and processors at a facility.
This innovation has the potential to conserve millions of liters of water in the face of concerns regarding the climate impact of artificial intelligence.
Microsoft stated in a post on December 9 that the new data center design “consumes zero water for cooling” by recycling it through a “closed loop” system that circulates water between servers and “chillers” that remove heat without the need to be topped up.
The system was first carried out in August.
“We can provide precise temperature control without water evaporation by implementing chip-level cooling solutions,” the company stated.
The design “will prevent the need for more than 125 million liters of water per year per data center,” it added, although water would still be used for onsite necessities such as restrooms and kitchens.
Environmental groups and academicians have issued warnings that the data centers that provide the computing power required for popular AI models, crypto mining, and online services such as email consume a substantial amount of water and electricity.
A study conducted in late 2023 discovered that the water required to cool the mining machines for a single Bitcoin transaction could fill a standard household pool. In September, the Washington Post reported that OpenAI’s ChatGPT consumes approximately half a liter of water to compose 100 words.
Microsoft has announced that its existing data centers will continue to utilize air and water-cooled technology. However, the company will trial the new system in its new initiatives in Arizona and Wisconsin in 2026.
It further stated that in August, it initiated the utilization of its new “zero-water evaporation” system as the primary cooling system for its new data centers, which are scheduled to commence operations in late 2027.
Microsoft’s earnings for the quarter ending on September 30 were significantly increased by a 33% year-over-year increase in its AI-powered Azure business. However, the company also indicated that it would allocate significant resources to AI over the upcoming quarter, with no assurance of a rapid return on investment.
