Atos' Longbridge Data Centre Sets New Efficiency Bar with PUE of 1.16
Atos' Longbridge data centre in the UK has achieved a remarkable Power Utilisation Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.16. This impressive feat was accomplished by implementing 92 best practices, including free cooling and LED lighting with motion detection. This news comes amidst the EU's efforts to improve data centre efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The average PUE for EU data centres stands at 1.6, with some reporting values above 2.0. Data centres across the EU consume approximately 40-45 TWh of electricity annually, accounting for 1.4-1.6% of the total EU electricity consumption. To tackle this, the EU Code of Conduct (CoC) for Data Centres utilises PUE as a key metric to assess efficiency and recognises centres that demonstrate significant energy reductions through best practice adoption.
Several data centres have shown notable improvements. Grenoble Alpes University's IMAG data centre in France achieved a PUE of 1.25 using direct free cooling and ground water for cold water production. DATA4 Milano in Italy achieved a PUE of 1.40, despite the region's hot climate, through direct free cooling and cold air containment. T-Systems' data centres Biere_1 and Biere_2 in Germany achieved a PUE of 1.375 by implementing 87 best practices.
The ultimate goal of the EU CoC for Data Centres is to achieve a PUE close to 1.0, indicating a perfectly efficient data centre. To meet the Net-Zero emissions Scenario by 2050, data centres must halve their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. Atos' Longbridge data centre serves as an inspiring example of what can be achieved through best practice adoption, paving the way for a more sustainable future in data centre management.
