A forest of power pylons outside the port of Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal. Questions are emerging on whether sufficient electricity will be available to power and to cool down digital data centres. (Image: Tony Carnie)
By Tony Carnie – 10 Feb 2026
Data centres have a gargantuan appetite for electrical power. But many also consume large volumes of water and generate substantial carbon emissions. Are the full environmental and financial costs being adequately measured or controlled?
To protect computer chips and other sensitive equipment from overheating, large volumes of water and cold air are pumped through data centres across the world…