Are European Data Centres Running Out Of Water?

Data centres keep Europe’s digital systems running… They house the servers that process everything from emails to AI tools. These machines create intense heat, which has to be controlled to stop them breaking down. The most common method is water cooling.

According to GlobalData, this practice is becoming harder as Europe faces hotter summers, droughts and wildfires. Robert Pritchard, principal analyst for Enterprise Technology & Services at GlobalData, said that climate change has produced weather patterns such as wildfires and flash floods that are more extreme worldwide. He explained that superheated ground means less rain is absorbed into aquifers and instead runs across dry soil, often causing destruction to lives and livelihoods.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has calculated that artificial intelligence tools alone will need between 4.2 billion and 6.6 billion cubic metres of water every year by 2027. That is roughly equal to all the annual water use of Denmark, or nearly half of the United Kingdom’s total consumption. These figures show the scale of the challenge.

 

What Are Cities Doing To Limit Growth?

 

The back and forth about infrastructure has mostly centred on energy demands. New nuclear technology has been suggested as one way to deal with rising electricity needs. But in some places governments have gone further and paused construction altogether.

Dublin in Ireland has already stopped new data centres from being built, in order to protect electricity supplies for households. Singapore has taken similar action, reflecting concern that local systems could buckle under the pressure. These decisions show that water is not the only strain, though its importance is becoming harder to ignore.

GlobalData said the expansion of digital infrastructure is running up against basic limits in energy and water. The company warned that climate conditions, especially prolonged droughts, will force more governments to look at how many centres can operate without threatening public supplies.

 

 

How Is Climate Change Linked To This?

 

GlobalData’s research refers to climate change as the main cause of this problem. Longer heatwaves dry out the land, leading to water running off instead of soaking in. At the same time, floods and wildfires destroy natural reserves and make storage harder.

Pritchard said the requirement for water to cool the increased number of data centres is likely to become an issue that must be addressed. He described it as both a political and social problem, not only a technical one. This is a reflection of the way communities experience water shortages directly, while companies running the centres demand even more of the resource.

There is no substitute for water when shortages hit. Backup generators can keep servers running when the power grid fails, but there is no comparable safety net for water supplies. This lack of alternatives underlines the difficulty of keeping centres cool during droughts.

 

Can Technology Solve The Problem?

 

Companies are looking at new technologies to lower energy use and reduce how much water is needed. Cooling methods that depend less on water are being developed, though they are not yet in wide use. GlobalData said solutions in tech usually appear, but the difference here is that any fix must be judged against the wider backdrop of climate change.

The OECD’s forecast for water use shows how serious the issue is. Even if cooling systems improve, the increased use of AI means demands will keep going up. This growth risks outpacing any efficiency gains.