Microsoft opens data center hubs in Sweden that are powered by green energy
Microsoft Sweden’s CEO said that the new data centers are “among the most sustainably designed and operated in the world”.
Microsoft has collaborated with a state-owned company in Sweden to open a “data center region” in the country that is completely powered by carbon-free green energy.
The technology giant’s partnership with Sweden’s Vattenfall energy group has led to it opening a series of data centers in three locations.
Microsoft has recently increased its efforts to invest in sustainability as it increases the footprint of its data center. In a blog post ahead of COP26, the company pointed out changes in its data centers as part of its plans to become carbon dioxide negative by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
The company said it had adopted a new approach to water cooling and temperature management at its data centers. It also continues to invest in alternatives for anhydrous cooling and liquid immersion cooling. In total, they want to reduce water use by 95 percent by 2024 in all their centers.
To support the company’s commitments, the servers in the new data centers in Sweden will be cooled with only outdoor air all year round. Rainwater will be collected and used to provide humidification and to support on-site data center facilities.
Reserve generators will run on Preem Evolution Diesel Plus, a Nordic eco-labeled fuel that contains at least 50 renewable raw materials and almost a corresponding reduction in net carbon dioxide emissions compared to ordinary fossil diesel mixtures.
Microsoft is also seeking LEED gold certification for the region as part of its goal to help conserve resources such as energy and water, generate less waste and support human health.
Sweden will be Microsoft’s third European Circular Center, which reuses servers and hardware at the company’s data center. The Swedish center will have the opportunity to support 12,000 servers per month.
“Our Swedish data centers are among the most sustainably designed and operated in the world,” commented Hélène Barnekow, general manager of Microsoft Sweden.
– This is an important launch for Sweden and Europe, as I am convinced that new technological innovation is the most important enabler for the world to achieve the global sustainability goals. By moving to the cloud, we create new opportunities to accelerate the transformation to a more sustainable future – together. ”
Microsoft has data centers around the world, including Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. In 2016, an underwater data center was even built.
In a interview with Bloomberg This week, Microsoft CEO Noelle Walsh said that “almost every country in the world wants a set of data centers now”.
“Our plan is to have Sweden as one of the largest in Europe, corresponding to the footprints of Dublin and Amsterdam.”
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