China has warned its local governments to stop the disorderly construction of data centres and 5G base stations as it aims to cut down carbon emissions.

To meet its commitment of reducing carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 as per the newly published plan, Beijing aims to cut down the reliance of data centres and 5G networks on coal-fired power facilities, reported Reuters.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

This plan was authored by the National Development and Reform Commission and departments of technology and telecommunications.

“Data centres and 5G are … the most critical link when it comes to saving energy and reducing consumption of new infrastructure,” stated the new plan.

As data centres are equipped with server racks that can store and process massive volumes of internet data, they also require huge amounts of power to keep the server networks cool and operational.

See Also:

According to statistics from Greenpeace, the power expenses of the data centres take up to 70% of operating costs.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Greenpeace stated that the estimated power consumption from the data centres and 5G base facilities could surge from 200 billion kilo watt hours (kwh) in 2020 to 782 billion kwh by 2035.

The plan called on local governments to curb construction of power-hungry data centres in areas not allocated as national hubs.

The plan stated: “All localities must strengthen overall guidance for the construction of data centres, and resolutely avoid the blind and disorderly development of data centres.”

It also features ways to boost layout of the data centres and 5G base stations. 

—————————————————————————————————————–

Image: Data centres consumer huge amounts of power to cool down their server networks. Credit: ananitit from Pixabay