Google has announced a redesign of its $200 million data center project in Santiago, Chile, which was originally approved in 2020. The project faced significant backlash due to its reliance on 7.6 million liters of water daily amid a prolonged drought in the region. The Chilean environmental court flagged the project for its unsustainable water usage, prompting Google to implement air cooling technology to reduce water consumption. This decision reflects a broader trend in Latin America, where tech companies are increasingly required to balance the growth of digital infrastructure with environmental sustainability [207243f0].
In addition to Google's efforts in Chile, G42, a technology company based in Abu Dhabi, has partnered with Kenyan firm EcoCloud to develop a 1-gigawatt (GW) data center in Kenya. This facility will be powered by geothermal energy, aiming to reduce fossil fuel dependence and carbon emissions. The initial capacity of the data center will be 100 megawatts, with plans to expand up to 1 GW. This project aligns with the global trend of transitioning to renewable energy sources and promoting sustainable practices in the technology sector [008c60c7].
The EcoCloud-G42 mega data center is a significant step towards achieving a more sustainable technology infrastructure. By leveraging geothermal energy, the data center will significantly reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to Kenya's renewable energy goals. Geothermal energy is a clean and sustainable source of power that harnesses the heat from the Earth's core, making Kenya an ideal location for such a project due to its abundant geothermal resources.
Moreover, Kenya, Egypt, and Uganda are collaborating to build an earth observation satellite for environmental monitoring in the region. This initiative aims to utilize space technologies to monitor climate change and facilitate mitigation of contemporary threats to human security and public safety. The global space economy was valued at $630 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, indicating the growing importance of such technologies [fb03a744].
In another development, Gulf Edge Company Limited, a subsidiary of Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited, has partnered with Google Cloud to provide sovereign cloud services in Thailand. This collaboration aims to support digital transformation in key sectors by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics capabilities. Gulf Edge will operate Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) as a managed provider, focusing on air-gapped configurations tailored for Thai organizations [447f167f].
Overall, the redesign of Google's data center in Chile and the establishment of green data centers in Kenya highlight the urgent need for tech companies to adopt sustainable practices. As the demand for digital infrastructure grows, the focus on renewable energy and environmentally friendly technologies will be crucial in addressing the challenges posed by climate change and water scarcity in Latin America and beyond [207243f0] [008c60c7] [447f167f].