"Google’s Chile Data Center Redesign Sparks Environmental Focus in Latin America", 19 September 2024

...In a move underscoring the increasing importance of environmental considerations, Google announced a complete overhaul of its planned $200 million data center in Santiago, Chile. Initially approved in 2020, the project faced backlash over its substantial water usage, a critical issue in a region grappling with a prolonged drought.

The project, slated for the Cerrillos district on the outskirts of Santiago, was set to become a central tech hub in Latin America. However, a Chilean environmental court flagged the proposed data center for its unsustainable reliance on 7.6 million liters of water daily for cooling servers. This dependency on groundwater was deemed incompatible with the city’s current water crisis, which has worsened over the last 15 years.

In response, Google has committed to reformulating the project with air cooling technology, a more sustainable alternative that requires significantly less water...The company emphasized its commitment to adapt to Chile’s environmental context, ensuring that future operations will be more eco-friendly.

Google’s decision reflects the growing necessity for multinational corporations to prioritize environmental sustainability. The tech giant’s choice to redesign the data center could set a precedent for how future tech infrastructure projects are developed in water-scarce regions...