Microsoft Sustainable Datacenter | JK Tech
Microsoft Sustainable Datacenter
From intelligent forecasting to multilingual education, AI and cloud technologies are reshaping how we live, work, and learn. For instance; in Antwerp, Belgium primary school students from immigrant families are using AI-powered apps to bridge language barriers and learn Dutch faster; in Exeter, U.K., meteorologists at the Met Office depend on Azure’s AI-enabled supercomputing power to deliver life-saving weather forecasts. Meanwhile, in Italy, government researchers leverage cloud computing to decode the genetics of durum wheat—helping make the crop more resilient to climate change.
At the core of this transformation lies datacenters —the backbone of modern digital life that powers everything from AI-driven searches and cloud storage to business productivity. To meet rising global demand responsibly, Microsoft continues to expand its cloud infrastructure, with plans to grow its European capacity by 40% between 2023 and 2027, reaching over 200 datacenters across the region by 2026.
This growth comes with a deep commitment to sustainability. Microsoft aims to become carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste by 2030, transforming both new and existing datacenters through innovative, environmentally conscious practices. Here’s how Microsoft is leading the way towards a greener digital future.
Putting Biodiversity & Landscape at the Heart of Datacenter Design
In the Netherlands, at Middenmeer, Microsoft is blending technology with nature, revitalizing its datacenter landscape with 150 native trees and 2,300 square meters of local plants to create harmony with the local Noord-Holland ecosystem. Future datacenters in the area will adopt biomimicry principles — enhancing biodiversity, preventing erosion and minimizing environmental impact. Landscaping, once an afterthought, is now central to design, ensuring datacenters coexist beautifully with their surroundings.
Saving & Restoring a Precious Resource: Water
Microsoft is redefining the future of datacenters with sustainability, community, and innovation at its core. In Spain, the company is partnering with local groups to conserve water through two major initiatives — AI-powered irrigation systems across 740 hectares of farmland near Zaragoza, projected to save 100,000 cubic meters of water annually by 2027, and the Nautilus smart sphere technology that detects leaks in Spain’s vast 275,000-kilometer water network to reduce waste. Microsoft’s new datacenters in Zaragoza feature closed-loop cooling systems that use water only once and continuously recirculate it, supporting the company’s goal of becoming water positive by 2030.
Completing the Circle of Use, Reuse and Recycle
Microsoft is closing the loop on sustainability by designing datacenters where every component can be used and recycled—reducing the need for new materials like plastics and rare earth minerals. Since opening its first Circular Center in Amsterdam in 2020, Microsoft has expanded to eight centers worldwide, achieving a 90.9% reuse and recycling rate of servers and components in 2024—surpassing its 2025 goal ahead of schedule. The newest center, now under construction in Newport, Wales, will handle materials from all U.K datacenters, processing about 226,800 kilos annually. Beyond recycling, it will also collaborate with local vocational programs to train future technicians, turning into both an environmental and community investment.
Warming Homes & Businesses with Recycled Heat
In Finland and Denmark, Microsoft is transforming datacenter waste heat into a powerful community resource — home and business heating. Through a partnership with Finnish energy company Fortum, Microsoft’s datacenter will supply heat to 250,000 customers across Espoo, Kirkkonummi and Kauniainen by 2027. The system captures hot air from cooling processes, converts it into warm water, and channels it into municipal heating network via heat pump plants, reducing reliance on traditional energy sources. A similar setup is underway near Copenhagen, Denmark. Shannon Wojcik, Microsoft’s Senior Project Manager, highlights that this initiative not only aligns with Microsoft’s 100% renewable energy commitment but also demonstrates innovative reuse of datacenter byproducts. She envisions future expansions, including collaborations with industries like greenhouse farming that could benefit from lower-temperature heat — showcasing how digital infrastructure can directly support sustainable living.
How JK Tech Helps
At JKTech, we share this mission. Our sustainable IT services focus on delivering tech infrastructure that aligns with environmental responsibility. By leveraging cloud and datacenter strategies built on platforms like Microsoft Azure, we help clients reduce carbon and water footprints, optimize resource usage, and adopt circular lifecycle practices for hardware. When you partner with JKTech, you’re not just moving your operations forward — you’re doing so in a way that supports sustainability, preserves ecosystem health, and future-proofs your IT for a low-impact world.
Further Reading & Resources
https://news.microsoft.com/source/emea/features/building-the-future-how-datacenters-are-innovating-with-sustainability-in-mind/ – Microsoft Newsroom
Published by JK Tech – Official Microsoft Partner in Singapore
Source: Chris Welsch - Microsoft Corporation
