AdaniConneX’s Vizag Data Centres to use air cooling, Limit Freshwater use
The proposed facilities at Mudasarlova and Tarluvada are part of a planned data centre development with a capacity of around one gigawatt, as Andhra Pradesh seeks to position Visakhapatnam as a major hub for artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.
Unlike conventional data centres that use water-intensive evaporative cooling systems, the proposed campuses will rely on air-based cooling technology, avoiding the large volumes of water typically consumed by such systems, sources familiar with the project said.
Around 80 per cent of the limited freshwater required across the three sites will be used for landscaping, kitchens and worker facilities. Water will be recycled and reused on-site, they said.
The facilities will have dedicated industrial water connections rather than draw supplies from municipal lines, with the aim of avoiding competition with households for drinking water.
The project will also follow a zero-discharge policy for domestic wastewater. Sewage will be treated at an on-site treatment plant and reused for landscaping and flushing, with no treated wastewater discharged into the Mudasarlova Reservoir, the sources said.
The proposed measures are intended to reduce the campuses’ impact on local water resources, including the Mudasarlova Reservoir and the adjoining Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary.
The project has drawn criticism from environmental activists over its proximity to the reservoir, a source of drinking water for Visakhapatnam, and the adjoining wildlife sanctuary.
Concerns have also been raised over the adequacy of environmental assessments and disclosure of the facilities’ water requirements.
The state government has defended the proposed data centre development, while IT Minister Nara Lokesh has dismissed concerns over its resource requirements as misinformation.
The government has said that an expanded data centre ecosystem with a capacity of 6.5 gigawatts could require around three thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water annually.
Google has said it plans to use advanced air-cooling technology.
Visakhapatnam is attracting investments in data centres and related digital infrastructure amid rising demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence services.
Reliance Industries is developing a data centre campus near Bhogapuram and Polipalli, while Bharti Airtel is investing in terrestrial and metropolitan fibre networks and undersea cable landing infrastructure at Rambilli.
Data centres house computing equipment used to store, process and transmit digital information. Their cooling requirements can put pressure on local water resources, particularly in water-stressed areas, making cooling technology and wastewater recycling important considerations in large-scale developments.
AdaniConneX, a joint venture between Adani Enterprises and US-based EdgeConneX, is developing a nationwide network of hyperscale data centres to serve growing demand for cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital services.
The proposed Visakhapatnam campuses are expected to strengthen the city’s digital infrastructure and support its emergence as a major data centre hub, the sources said.
