Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced a €34 million investment to build three new water storage facilities at its data centers located in Aragon, Spain. This expansion aims to optimize water resource management efficiency by up to 10%, crucial for cooling the multinational company’s computer equipment.
The expansion will impact AWS facilities in Villanueva de Gállego, Huesca, and El Burgo de Ebro. The investment will centralize water management at each of these data centers, leading to a second modification of the Aragon General Interest Project (PIGA). This initial project, which already included a total investment of €15.7 billion, now incorporates the construction of buildings approximately 825 square meters in size and 8.3 meters high for water storage.
Water, essential for data center cooling, is obtained from the public network and treated through a reverse osmosis process before storage. This water is used in air handling units that provide the necessary cold air to maintain server operation.
According to documentation published on Monday in the Official Bulletin of Aragon (BOA), each of AWS data centers in the region has an estimated water consumption of 36,461 cubic meters per year, equivalent to 4,162 liters per hour per center. In total, the entire network of AWS data centers in Aragon will consume approximately 109,383 cubic meters annually, equivalent to the water needed to irrigate 10 hectares of crops.
Currently, water treatment takes place in specific rooms within the two main buildings of the data center. With the project modification, a centralized installation is proposed to unify this process, allowing better reuse of wastewater and increasing overall water efficiency.
Additionally, additional storage tanks will be built to enhance system resilience against fluctuations in public water availability and reduce demand during peak periods.
In Villanueva de Gállego, a new potable water reservoir will be constructed, funded by the public company Suelo y Vivienda de Aragón. This reservoir, expected by early 2025, will supply both Amazon’s data center and the associated technology park. The project, costing €2.18 million, will enable water supply independence through a new pipeline directly connecting to Amazon’s facilities.
With these investments, Amazon is not only looking to enhance the efficiency of its data centers but also to contribute to the sustainable development of the region, aligning its operations with more responsible resource usage practices.