The Chinese mainland is taking significant steps towards sustainability in the tech sector. Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and two central government agencies, introduced an ambitious action plan aimed at greening data centers across the country.
By 2025, the plan targets reducing the average power usage effectiveness (PUE) of data centers to below 1.5. PUE is a critical metric that measures energy efficiency, and lowering it signifies a substantial move towards more sustainable operations.
In addition to improving PUE, the action plan seeks to increase the utilization rate of renewable energy in data centers by 10 percent annually. This initiative is crucial as data centers are pivotal infrastructures driving the development of new quality productive forces, with their energy consumption expected to rise by 15 percent annually.
Looking ahead to 2030, the plan envisions data centers achieving internationally advanced levels in PUE, energy and carbon efficiency per unit of computing power, and further improvements in renewable energy usage. To realize these goals, the Chinese mainland will enhance data center layouts, enforce stricter energy and water efficiency standards for new projects, retrofit existing facilities for energy savings, and promote the adoption of energy-saving technologies and equipment.
With China's total computing power now ranking second globally and over 8.1 million data center racks in use by the end of 2023, these measures represent a significant commitment to environmental stewardship and technological advancement.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
