RACA Journal I January 2026 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za 19
DATA CENTRE FEATURE SERIES
FLOATING CLOUDS, DATA SPAS AND UNDERGROUND BUNKERS – THE FUTURE OF DATA CENTRES?
Data centres
By Eamonn Ryan
With energy costs, environmental targets and uptime all under the microscope, the way we cool data centres is no longer just a technical concern – it is a strategic imperative.
According to McKinsey’ s report,‘ The Cost of Compute
Power: A USD7-trillion Race’ 1, global AI data centre capacity could reach as much as 125 gigawatts between 2025 and 2030 – roughly equivalent to Spain’ s entire installed power generation capacity. Achieving this scale will demand extraordinary levels of investment and rapid innovation across both computing and energy infrastructure.
Artificial intelligence isn’ t just transforming industries; it’ s reshaping the very infrastructure that keeps the digital world running. Behind every algorithm, search query and cloud-based service lies a data centre humming with servers that demand constant, precise cooling. It’ s the cooling systems that often dominate the energy equation. Depending on efficiency and design, cooling alone can account for anywhere from 7 % of total consumption in advanced hyperscale centres to more than 30 % in smaller or older operations.
IS IT ENGINEERING … OR SCIENCE FICTION? As the quest ramps up to keep our ever-growing digital world cool, Lenovo is hinting that the future of data centres might blur the line between engineering and science fiction. Working with AKT II and Mamou-Mani, they’ ve imagined facilities that could make your average server room with direct-to-chip liquid cooling feel positively quaint. Think floating cloud data centres drifting 20km above the Earth, villages of servers cozying up to rivers, or secret subterranean bunkers quietly humming under our feet. It’ s enough to make you wonder: is this cutting-edge tech, or the opening act of the next sci-fi blockbuster?
The designs include:
• The Floating Cloud: A novel concept involving the suspension of the data centre in the air, at an altitude of 20 – 30km( safely away from commercial aircraft), with 24 / 7 energy from solar power and using pressurised closed liquid cooling loops to prevent air pollution. Smaller modules make the design feasible for floating in the air.
• The Data Village: Located close to water sources such as rivers or canals, the Data Village involves a modular, stackable brick or pod system of data centres linked to city needs. This location benefits from enhanced liquid cooling and the ability to transfer waste heat to power or heat local amenities like schools, or homes, as well as reducing latency thanks to its proximity to key locations. This model also extends into a Data Spa. Powered by geothermal energy, this concept blends into natural landscapes( such as a valley, lagoon, or geothermal pools), creating a low-visual-impact and biophilic data centre.
Image supplied by Hitachi
Hitachi supports 800-volt architecture for next-generation data centres.
RACA Journal I January 2026 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za 19