Cooling the Future: Navigating Power Surges and Sustainability in Data Centres

In this interview, Matt Gurr, ANZ Market Director, High Tech at AECOM oversees data centre infrastructure across Australia and the APAC region. His role involves managing the development and expansion of physical infrastructure for co-location providers and hyperscalers, addressing the increased demand driven by the rapid growth of data and AI technologies. This expansion requires significant scaling of data centre capacities, often involving large investments in new facilities.

The surge in AI and data consumption is escalating power requirements, with data centres now needing up to 500 megawatts of capacity. As cooling demands rise, traditional water cooling methods are facing constraints due to limited water supplies, leading to increased interest in air-cooled systems despite their higher power consumption. The shift towards more sustainable practices, such as the use of low-carbon materials and air-cooled chillers, will likely result in higher costs for data centres, which may be passed on to customers.