🇰🇷 Korean, 18 October 2026, data center water usage
South Korea's AI Data Centers May Require Up to 234 Million Tons of Water
The country's planned expansion of AI data centers could lead to a maximum daily water demand of 234 million tons during the summer.
According to a study by the Korea Environment Institute, the planned expansion of AI data centers in South Korea could lead to a maximum daily water demand of 234 million tons during the summer. The study found that the water demand for data centers would vary depending on the cooling method used, with a maximum of 234 million tons required for facilities using evaporation cooling.
The study also found that if high-efficiency cooling equipment is installed in new facilities, the daily water demand could be reduced to around 41.7 million tons. In contrast, if evaporation cooling is expanded, the daily water demand could increase to around 85.3 million tons.
The government has plans to build a total of 18.4 GW of AI data centers by 2035, with 8.4 GW to be built by 2029. However, the study highlights the need for reliable official statistics on data center water usage, as current statistics are incomplete and do not account for all facilities.