The construction of Google’s data center in Uruguay, specifically in the Parque de las Ciencias, located in Canelones, continues to progress. Recently, it was announced that the Executive has given the green light to the expansion of this free zone through the acquisition of an additional three hectares of land by Google, adding to the 30 hectares previously purchased in 2020.
Google’s data center in Uruguay: progress and challenges
This project is highly valued by the government, as it positions Uruguay as a regional and global innovation and technology hub. The confirmation of this investment was celebrated by the Presidency of the Republic, highlighting that it places Uruguay in an advantageous position to attract investments in the field of data storageThe sector is in constant growth thanks to the development of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and Big Data.
During the environmental assessment process carried out by the Ministry of Environment, surprising facts about the project were revealed. A report submitted by Google to the authorities indicated that, when operating at full capacity, the data center would consume an amount of electricity equivalent to the use of 202,898 single residential rate homes, which is equivalent to the energy consumption of an entire city.
In addition, last year the initial estimate of the water consumption required for the center’s cooling system was released, which amounted to 7,600,000 liters per day, equivalent to the consumption of 55,000 people. However, Google later modified the project to an air-based cooling system, significantly reducing water demand.
This Google investment project serves as a pretext to reflect on the relevance of data centers today, their environmental impact and the reasons why Uruguay is attractive for the installation of these infrastructures.
Recently, Andrés Ferragut, PhD in Electrical Engineering and expert in Networks and Communication Systems, described in an interview data centers as huge conglomerates of high-performance computers, interconnected with each other and with the rest of the world, facilitating remote access to their resources.
Ferragut also highlighted the importance of the cloud, explaining that it refers to the leasing of computing capacity from third parties, located anywhere in the world. This data centralization allows users to rent resources flexibly, adjusting the number of servers needed according to demand.
The specialist also pointed out that a large part of today’s Internet traffic consists of video content, stored in data centers, which requires a greater amount of data for transmission compared to other types of content such as audio or images.
The expansion of Google’s data centers in Uruguay not only reflects the growth of the technology sector in the country, but also poses challenges and opportunities in terms of environmental sustainability. The transition to more efficient cooling systems and the responsible use of natural resources are key aspects that accompany the development of this critical infrastructure, ensuring that technological innovation advances hand in hand with environmental protection.
Don’t miss any of our posts and follow us on social media!
Inspenet.com YouTube LinkedIn Facebook Instagram
Source: montevideo.com.uy
Photo: shutterstock.com
Loading...
