Data Crunch: The Environmental Cost Of the AI Boom In Europe?

Data centres run the technology needed to answer our constant questions and aid our day-to-day lives.  But the ongoing expansion of this energy-guzzling industry has been causing controversy over their environmental impact in hubs such as Ireland where a data centre boom has been ongoing for a number of years. Now this issue is expanding to newcomers to the market, including Spain. 

Operators are expanding to hotter climates, with hyperscale centres being built in regions including Aragón in Spain. Hyperscale means more computer power, enabling operation of powerful AI models, but it also comes with higher resource consumption and land use. 

In Ireland, the national electricity grid strains under pressure as data centres consume more electricity than all homes across the country. This has led some data centre operators to turn to fossil fuels to generate their own electricity.

Climate experts say this shift to natural gas will create more greenhouse gas emissions and hurt Ireland’s ability to meet legally-binding climate targets. This reality may also face countries now embracing the industry in the not too distant future. 

Image provided by the team (adapted from a Shutterstock photo)