A data center under construction in an Armenian gorge aims to keep its carbon footprint low by taking advantage of naturally cool temperatures and locally sourced spring water.
When Eastern European technology company VSDATA launches its new facility at the end of the year, it will join a growing number of digital infrastructure companies that capitalize on unique climatic characteristics for natural cooling.
Building the facility in a gorge in the South Caucasus – where the air temperature stays 5°C lower than the surrounding areas – will reduce cooling overheads. This infrastructure will host 125 racks, and colocation services will start in 2026.
“Currently, VSDATA has no clients, but efforts to attract them are underway,” said spokesperson Diana Pavlovets.
There may be reason for the company to be optimistic: Armenia’s data center market has been growing rapidly, spurred by advantages inherent to its climate and supported by both government and finance.
By focusing on sustainability, VSDATA is also appealing to an industry that has been grappling with how to responsibly meet its energy demands. Natural cooling is emerging as one solution.
“It is possible to balance computing power expansion with carbon reduction while significantly lowering operational costs,” said Shen Wang, principal analyst at Omdia. “That isn’t only a question of being ‘eco-friendly’,” Wang said. “In the long term, adopting a low-carbon approach will yield greater economic and social benefits for the data center industry while making a meaningful contribution to global sustainable development.”
A Brief History of Naturally Cooled Data Centers
While construction is underway on VSDATA’s new data center, other projects utilize distinct climatic features to reduce their carbon footprint.
Staying true to its name, Green Mountain’s first data center, SVG-Rennesøy (also known as DC1-Stavanger), is a unique Tier III certified data center in a former high-security NATO ammunition storage facility inside a mountain.
Similarly, Bluebird Fiber operates an underground data center in a limestone cavern in Springfield, Missouri. The subterranean facility is said to offer a range of advantages, including enhanced security, environmental benefits, and optimized energy efficiency.
Last year, we reported that construction had begun on a 5 MW data center located in an active mine in the Italian Alps.
