Adani- Google Data Centres in Visakhapatnam to Adopt Air-Cooling Technology to Minimise Water Usage

Environmental protection is being prioritised in projects aimed at transforming Andhra Pradesh into a major data hub. AdaniConneX has announced that it will use advanced air-cooling technology to significantly reduce water consumption at the massive data centres being developed jointly with Google in Visakhapatnam. The new technology will be implemented at the campuses planned in the Madhurawada and Tarluvada areas.

Typically, data centres require large quantities of freshwater for operations and cooling systems. However, the use of air-cooling technology is expected to virtually eliminate the need for water for cooling purposes. The total freshwater consumption across these projects is estimated to remain below the volume of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Of this water, around 80 per cent will be allocated exclusively for employee amenities, kitchens, landscaping and other such requirements.

Since the projects are located near the Mudasarlova Reservoir and the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, concerns have been raised about their potential impact on local water resources. In response, the company has clarified that it will source water exclusively through dedicated industrial water connections, without depending on water supplies meant for domestic use.

The company will also follow a zero-discharge policy. Wastewater generated at the facilities will be treated at an on-site treatment plant and reused for purposes such as irrigation and toilet flushing. The company has assured that even treated wastewater will not be discharged into the Mudasarlova Reservoir.

AdaniConneX is a joint venture between Adani Enterprises and EdgeConneX. The company aims to develop hyperscale data centres with a combined capacity of approximately 1 gigawatt in collaboration with Google.

Along with these projects and the operations of companies such as Reliance and Airtel, Visakhapatnam is expected to emerge as one of India's major data centre and artificial intelligence (AI) hubs in the near future