Data Mountain
By: Henry Tucker
Data Mountain
data centre isn't the first to operate
power nearby would always be in its
In our ever connected world we are
inside the mountain though. The
favour when it came to being environ-
relying more and more on data
tunnels that run up to 260m into the
mentally friendly. However, in addition
centres, but they use a lot of power.
granite were drilled by NATO in the
to this the company running it has
With this in mind, Henry Tucker MBCS
early 1960s after the Cuban missile
designed an efficient way to cool it
went to see the self-proclaimed,
crisis. Initially it was used to store field
using the other thing that it has on tap;
greenest data centre in the world.
hospitals and then later to house and
the fjord water.
The dark blue water laps gently on the
repair torpedoes and mines, now
As the water is so deep, when you get
hard granite shoreline. Take just one
NATO has gone and the mountain is
down to 100m it is a constant 8oc all
step into the cold water and the drop is
almost empty.
year round. This water is then drawn
70m straight down. Go a little further
In many ways it makes the perfect loca-
into a large concrete tank without
out and it can get as deep as 150m.
tion for a data centre. They aren't
using pumps because it is at sea level.
These Norwegian fjords have been
places that you want a lot of people
As it is sea water it can't be used to
used for many things ever since man
going to, they need to be secure and
directly cool anything inside the data
first laid eyes on them. Now they are
they need to be cooled efficiently and
centre as it would be too corrosive.
being used to cool a data centre.
effectively. With only one way in it is
So what they do is use a closed, fresh
Green Mountain is no ordinary data
secure, the fjord isn't at risk from
water pipeline that draws the heat
centre though, even before it started
tsunami or earthquakes and with all
away from the racks, this is then
using 8oc fjord water to cool its serv-
the mountains and lakes around it, it
cooled using the sea water and tita-
ers. That's because not only is it quite
isn't short of cheaper electricity from
nium heat exchangers. After this the
green, literally and figuratively, but it is
the network of hydroelectric plants in
sea water then goes out into the fjord
also a mountain. Well inside one.
the area.
again at a temperature of 18oc.
Smedvig, the company that owns the
The fact that it has the hydroelectric
14
Issue 72 March 2014
2014
72

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