How deep ocean water can cool data centers
IIT Bombay researchers have come up with a cool new way to slash energy use and carbon emissions from data centers—by tapping into deep ocean water.
Their Deep Seawater Cooling (DSWC) method uses cold water from nearly 2,800 meters below the sea, which could cut both power consumption and emissions by up to 79%.
The team tested this idea using the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a real-world example.
The setup involves running a special pipeline
The setup involves running a special pipeline out to deep ocean layers where the water stays at a chilly 18°C.
For a typical large data center, DSWC could pay for itself in just eight months, even after covering all building and maintenance costs.
While it's best suited for coastal areas, this tech could also help hospitals, factories, or even tropical buildings stay cool—offering a greener way forward as our demand for energy keeps rising.