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Energy management

Deep Seawater Cooling System Emerges as Energy-Efficient Alternative

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A study published in the Renewable Energy journal has found that a Deep Seawater Cooling (DSWC) system can provide energy-efficient cooling for data centers in tropical regions. The research, conducted by the Indian Institute for Technology, demonstrated that a DSWC system designed for a 100 MW cooling load can achieve annual energy savings of 79% and a payback period of eight months. This feasibility study underscores the potential of DSWC systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainability in data center operations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Deep Seawater Cooling (DSWC) system has been identified as an energy-efficient alternative to conventional cooling systems, harnessing the naturally available and stable low temperature of deep seawater to provide cooling.
  • The feasibility of DSWC systems depends on pipeline design, site location, and investment and operational costs, which are evaluated using a sequentially structured methodology.
  • The proposed methodology incorporates seabed profile, erosion and deposition velocity limits, pipeline strength criteria, diameter optimization, and economic analysis, making it suitable for heating applications as well.
  • The study demonstrated the energy efficiency and economic feasibility of DSWC systems for a cooling application of a data center in tropical regions with minimal seasonal temperature variations.
  • The findings of the study provide valuable insights into the practicality of DSWC systems in tropical regions for researchers, stakeholders, and policymakers.
  • The study's conclusions highlight the significance of DSWC systems in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainability in data center operations.
  • The authors of the study include Gurubalan Annadurai, Kashish Kumar, and Moin Ali Syed from the Indian Institute for Technology.

Statistics:

  • 79%: The annual energy savings achieved by the DSWC system designed for a 100 MW cooling load.
  • 8 months: The payback period of the investment in the DSWC system.
  • 100 MW: The cooling load of the DSWC system designed for the data center.
  • Tropical regions: The location of the data center where the DSWC system was demonstrated, characterized by minimal seasonal temperature variations.
  • Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd: The publisher of the Renewable Energy journal where the study was published.

Sources:

  • (VerticalNews) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Information Technology Newsweekly -- Data detailed on Information Technology have been presented. According to news originating from Bombay, India, by VerticalNews correspondents, research stated...
  • Methodology To Analyze the Feasibility of Deep Seawater Cooling Systems. Renewable Energy, 2025;252.
  • Renewable Energy can be contacted at: Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Renewable Energy - www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy/)
  • Gurubalan Annadurai, Indian Institute for Technology, Dept. of Energy Sciences and Engineering, Bombay 400076, India.

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