Intel unveils new investments for data center sustainability

Intel has announced two new investments, continuing its efforts to create more sustainable data center technology.

The first is a $700 million investment in a 200,000-square-foot, cutting-edge research and development mega lab intended to address heating, cooling and water usage through innovative technologies.

The second is the introduction of an open intellectual property (open IP) immersion liquid cooling offering and reference design, which Intel says is an industry-first.

Moreover, the company says it intends to simplify and fast-track implementing immersion liquid cooling solutions throughout the data center ecosystem worldwide.

The initial solution and design proof of concept, which has already begun, will be completed in partnership with Intel Taiwan and across the Taiwanese ecosystem in a phased approach, with plans to scale out globally.

Intel will continue to work with partners to develop and validate related solutions.

"Intel's dedication to its global partnerships is evident with these announcements," Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Datacenter and AI Group Sandra L. Rivera says.

"The future of the data center and data center design is based on innovative and sustainable technologies and practices, and I'm proud of the work we're doing every day to help make a sustainable future a reality.

Intel's new mega lab will be focused on areas including immersion cooling, water usage effectiveness and heat recapture and reuse.

Construction on the lab will begin this year at the Jones Farm campus in Hillsboro, Oregon, and Intel expects the facility to open in late 2023.

The lab will also qualify, test and enable Intel's data center product portfolio, such as Intel Xeon, Intel Optane, network interfaces and switch gear, Intel Agilex FPGAs, Xe architecture, Habana accelerators, as well as future products under development.

Further, the lab will host a showcasing of advanced technology in the lab for customers and partners to observe and test Intel products in a range of data center environments, designed to encourage more widespread ecosystem adoption of these technologies.

Intel says its open IP data center immersion liquid will allow its partners to fast-track introducing further Intel offerings to respond to increasing data center power density by enhancing operational efficiency.

Noting that data centers account for roughly 1% of the global electricity demand and make up approximately 0.3% of global carbon emissions, Intel says investing in standardising cooling technologies and research and development for future innovations strengthens its commitment to more sustainable technology offerings.