UAE: Experts Say AI Can Be Sustainable Despite Data Centres Needing More Power

Data centres require immense amounts of power to function, which lead to carbon emissions. However, some sustainability leaders say that data centres, which power generative artificial intelligence, can actually be sustainable in the long run.

Data centres are specialized physical buildings which store computer systems and the like. These centres are also used to train AI models. According to a Goldman Sachs Research, power demand from data centres, driven by AI, will increase 50 per cent by 2027, and up to 165 per cent by 2030.

Stefano Resi, Head of Data Center, Nokia, Middle East, and Africa, said although data centres use up a lot of energy, it can also help in decreasing energy consumption and decreasing the carbon footprint of the entire population. He recalled how during the COVID-19 lockdown, the number of oil and gas consumption decreased, saying,“we could do that. So, there was a number of reductions of the carbon footprint, thanks to the digitalization journey.”

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Speaking at a panel session during The Journey to Net Zero event hosted by KT Events, a Khaleej Times division, Resi explained,“The data centre will continue to consume more power moving into the [near] future, [but] there will be a layer of very small data centres, going all around the city and the counties. This will create more efficiency.”

General Manager of Al Masaood Power Rasso Bartenschlager, who was also speaking at the session, said that data centres could double or triple over the next five years.“This means that the electricity supply to these sources is growing dramatically,” he said. Currently, there are 10,709 data centres in the world, with the UAE housing 57, according to Data Center Map.

However, Bartenschlager emphasised that because the UAE is a stable government which doesn't have regular power handovers, it has an advantage over other countries due to“demand and because of availability, there is a drive towards sustainable data centre,” he said.

Russo said that we are seeing a lot of initiatives, especially in the UAE, for the push in renewable energy, but that there's a“little bit of lag.” He said,“implementation of renewable energy not going to the same pace of what we are hearing. Especially when it comes to fuelling or powering up the data centre.”

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