Microsoft has announced the successful completion of its underwater data center experiment, Project Natick. While they do not plan to build new submerged centers, they will apply the lessons learned to improve their existing terrestrial facilities. Project Natick began in 2013 with a data center installed at the bottom of the sea near the Orkney Islands in Scotland. The data center, which includes 864 servers, operates on renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and tidal power.
The experiment aimed to address the growing demand for data centers near population centers and promote the use of renewable energies. Microsoft partnered with Naval Group, a company specializing in engineering ships and submarines, to develop the infrastructure for the underwater data center. The system used seawater for cooling, similar to the cooling systems in submarines.
After two years of operation, Microsoft brought the underwater data center to the surface for testing. They found that it had fewer server failures compared to a land-based data center using the same components. The underwater data center also required less maintenance and consumed fewer resources due to its renewable energy sources.
While Microsoft has decided not to build more submerged data centers, they will use their knowledge gained from Project Natick to improve their existing facilities. They plan to incorporate lessons learned from the experiment into their current operations, such as constant external temperatures and the use of inert nitrogen gas. Additionally, they are exploring new technologies like robotics to enhance efficiency and reliability in their data centers.
Despite not having any submerged facilities currently, Microsoft continues to research and implement innovative concepts like liquid immersion to improve data center sustainability and reliability.
In conclusion, Project Natick’s completion marks an important milestone for Microsoft as they continue to innovate and improve their technology offerings while promoting sustainability efforts in their operations.
