Saint John data centre wouldn't guzzle city water, companies say

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/saint-john-data-centre-9.7167767

The water needed for a proposed data centre in west Saint John wouldn’t be a significant drain on the city’s Spruce Lake industrial supply, according to the registration document filed as part of the environmental impact assessment process.

But the centre, which would have a natural-gas power-generation plant for some of its needs, would require a significant amount of power at 390 megawatts.

it would also produce enough greenhouse gases to make it one of the top emitters in the province, according to the environmental impact assessment, or EIA, documents registered last week.

32 points · 8 comments · view on lemmy.world

8 Comments

GirthBrooksPLO@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 110d

Let me put this into perspective.

390 MW is enough power for roughly 390,000 homes.

patatas@sh.itjust.works · 13 pts · 110d

Lol jfc did no one think to also ask about the water usage of the gas plants that power these things?

Gas power generation consumes more water than the data centres themselves, even if the DC is cooled with an evaporative system rather than a closed loop:

https://blundervalley.ca/blog/water-consumption/

BinzyBoi@piefed.ca · 10 pts · 110d

I'm so proud of the Carney government for doing this. Why should I care about greenhouse gas emissions and reversing our progress on them when I now have limitless power at my fingertips in generating images of anybody I dislike getting run over by the Hummer Guy from Family Guy.

Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 110d (2 replies)

So, they are going to cool it with hopes and dreams?

SkyeLight@piefed.social · 11 pts · 110d

It's cute, how they're saying it won't be a strain on the city water system or the industrial supply. They're not denying that it'll strain the overall water supply, draining aquifers or lakes or whatever, just that it won't affect these specific water supplies.

ikidd@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 110d

It's closed loop.

TrojanRoomCoffeePot@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 110d

HubertManne@piefed.social · 2 pts · 110d

oh. theres no sugar in pixie stix.