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Why cannot AI data centres use seawater instead of fresh water?
short by Vaishnavi Mishra / on Wednesday, 1 April, 2026
AI data centres need a massive amount of freshwater for cooling, threatening availability of this resource. However, they cannot use seawater, as the cooling systems in most digital infrastructure facilities are evaporative. When seawater vaporises, it clogs the membrane with salt and other mineral residue, hampering further cooling. The seawater's salt content has a corrosive effect on metals.
read more at UK Gov blog