Balmoral Tanks, a division of the Balmoral Group, is taking significant strides within the global data centre market, now representing 20% of their export sales—doubling last year's figures. This growth underscores the rising demand for engineered water storage and innovative cooling solutions.
The rapid development of data centres, with projections indicating 10 GW of new capacity commencing this year and an expected 25-30% uptick in investment, places the industry under the lens for its environmental impacts, particularly regarding water usage.
Across continents such as Europe, North America, and Latin America, there's a prevailing pressure on developers to create facilities that employ resources judiciously. This pressure has led consultants and operators to rethink system designs, emphasising not only energy efficiency but also sustainable water management.
Simon Scott, Export Sales Director at Balmoral Tanks, notes the multifaceted challenges facing the industry, stating these pressures stem not just from engineering hurdles but resource management. The message is clear—sustainability and reliability must be core elements in the facility design phase.
The complexity of balancing operational reliability with the responsible use of resources becomes apparent as data centres grow in scale. Water-dependent cooling and fire-protection systems fall under scrutiny, with closed-loop systems emerging as a crucial solution. These systems effectively recycle and treat water, curbing consumption while ensuring efficiency.
Reflecting on these innovations, Ross Waite, Export Sales Manager at Balmoral Tanks, emphasises the shift in priorities towards cool systems' environmental impact, where closed-loop and water-reuse designs play pivotal roles in ensuring efficiency and sustainability.
Balmoral's over ten years of expertise in water storage solutions for data centres bolster various critical operations, including protection from fires, process cooling, and rainwater reuse—delivering safe and robust engineering solutions tailor-made for challenging environments.
