Microsoft Unveils Zero-Water Cooling Technology for Datacenters

With water cooling eliminated, Microsoft's new datacenter design saves 125 million liters of water annually while making sustainability perceptibly better, with chip level cooling and closed loop systems.

Eliminating water usage for cooling, Microsoft introduces a groundbreaking datacenter design that takes the company's promise to the environment to new heights. This innovative design is set to be launched in August 2024 featuring chip level cooling solutions to allow precise temperature control without the use of water evaporation. The datacenter was projected to save more than 125 million liters of water per year.

Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI said "AI relies on water, and so do we, and proud that Microsoft's new datacenters will use no water to cool them, which means each one will consign 125 million liters of water to history every year." This is a key step for Microsoft in its campaign to greatly shrink its environmental footprint.

Microsoft measures the water efficiency flow with a Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE), measuring water consumption by energy consumption. The company has continuously improved its Water Usage Effectiveness and has attained 0.30 L/kWh in the previous fiscal year. With the use of zero-water evaporation technology in the coming years, Microsoft hopes to bring the Water Usage Effectiveness near zero.

Recycled water in a confined system will run continuously, reducing reliance on fresh water, but only slightly affecting energy use. An alternative energy source, like nuclear power, is being explored. New designs will pilot in Phoenix and Mt. Pleasant by 2026, supporting Microsoft's green sustainability initiative to meet AI demands sustainably.