Water Consumption of Data Centers in Germany Rises Sharply

In light of the ongoing AI boom in Germany, the expansion of data centers is being accelerated. A recent brief study by the Öko-Institut, commissioned by Greenpeace, predicts that the water consumption of these facilities could increase by up to 100% by the year 2030. This development raises questions about sustainability and resource utilization. The study highlights that the water consumption of data centers in Germany is already significant. In 2023, water consumption was approximately 1.5 billion cubic meters.

With the increasing use of AI applications and cloud services, further growth is expected, which could put pressure on water supply in some regions. A central factor for the rising water consumption is the cooling of servers. Data centers require large amounts of water to dissipate the heat generated by the servers. The study shows that the cooling technologies in many new data centers are not sufficiently optimized to minimize water consumption. The environmental impacts are substantial.

Greenpeace is therefore calling for a review of the approval processes for new data centers. The organization argues that permits are often granted without adequate consideration of water resources. This could lead to long-term water shortages in affected regions. Another aspect of the study is the regional distribution of data centers. Many new facilities are being established in water-scarce areas, which exacerbates the issue of water consumption.

The study recommends that future data centers should be located in water-rich regions to reduce the burden on local water supplies. The federal government has already announced measures to promote sustainable technologies in the IT sector. These include the development of more efficient cooling systems and the use of rainwater for cooling. Experts emphasize that such measures are urgently needed to meet the rising water demand. The study by Greenpeace and the Öko-Institut is part of a broader discussion about the environmental consequences of digitalization.

The increasing demand for computing power and data processing not only leads to higher energy consumption but also to a significant rise in water consumption. The necessity to manage these resources sustainably is becoming increasingly urgent. The forecasts of the study are alarming and require immediate action from both politics and industry. By 2030, the water consumption of data centers in Germany could rise to as much as 3 billion cubic meters, which would significantly strain existing water resources. Greenpeace is therefore calling for a comprehensive strategy to reduce water consumption in the IT sector. "We must act now to secure water supply for future generations," says a spokesperson for Greenpeace. "Digitalization must not come at the expense of our natural resources."