AdaniConneX's Vizag data centres to use air cooling, limit freshwater use

AdaniConneX's planned data centre campuses in Visakhapatnam, being developed in partnership with Google, will use air-cooled systems to eliminate the need for water-based evaporative cooling and keep freshwater consumption across three sites to less than the volume of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, according to the project details.

The campuses at Mudasarlova and Tarluvada are part of a proposed data centre development with a capacity of about 1 gigawatt, as Visakhapatnam seeks to emerge as a major hub for artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.

Unlike conventional data centres that use evaporative cooling systems and cooling towers, the proposed facilities will rely on air-based cooling technology, avoiding the large volumes of water typically consumed by such systems, sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Of the limited freshwater required across the three sites, around 80 per cent will be used for landscaping, kitchens and worker facilities, with water recycled