Google’s Visakhapatnam Data Centre to Use Air-Cooling Technology, Says MP
Google’s upcoming data centre in Visakhapatnam will use advanced air-cooling technology rather than water-based cooling systems, according to Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat. The statement comes amid growing public concerns over the potential impact of large data centres on the city’s water resources.
Sribharat said Google had confirmed that the facility would use air cooling and therefore would not place a significant burden on Visakhapatnam’s water supply. He also dismissed concerns that the rapid development of data centres around the city could create a serious water shortage.
The comments were made ahead of a national public conference on AI data centres in Visakhapatnam, where water consumption, employment and the wider environmental impact of upcoming projects are expected to be discussed. A “Visakhapatnam Declaration” is also expected from the conference.
Google itself has previously confirmed that water conservation is being considered in the design of its Visakhapatnam AI hub. Alexander Smith, Google’s Principal for Global Infrastructure and Energy in Asia Pacific, said the planned data-centre campuses would use advanced air-cooling technology and that water use would largely be restricted to non-cooling requirements such as restrooms.
According to Google, this approach is intended to keep the facility’s water footprint comparable to that of a conventional office building. The company has also said it evaluates local water availability and watershed risks when determining cooling configurations for its data centres.
The Visakhapatnam project forms part of Google’s planned $15 billion investment in Andhra Pradesh between 2026 and 2030. The company is developing a gigawatt-scale AI hub in partnership with AdaniConneX and Airtel, alongside subsea cable infrastructure and additional clean-energy capacity.
Google broke ground on the AI hub in April 2026. The planned facility is expected to provide large-scale computing infrastructure for AI workloads and strengthen Visakhapatnam’s position as a major technology and connectivity hub.
The project has nevertheless remained under environmental scrutiny. The Andhra Pradesh authorities granted environmental clearance in June 2026, with conditions concerning the protection of nearby water resources and the Mudasarlova Reservoir, which is an important source of drinking water for Visakhapatnam.
The debate over cooling technology highlights one of the major environmental challenges facing the rapidly expanding AI data-centre industry: balancing the enormous computing and energy requirements of AI infrastructure with the need to conserve water and protect local ecosystems.
