Field demonstration of the application of low-carbon concrete for data centers with the aim of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
AUSTIN, Texas, 20 August 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the Open Compute Project Foundation (OCP), the nonprofit organization bringing hyperscale innovation to the data center industry, announces a new collaboration to test the development and deployment of low-carbon concrete, or “green concrete.” OCP is supporting a collaboration between leading technology innovators Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, Meta, and Microsoft to advance the adoption of low-carbon concrete in data center construction. This joint endeavor, which aligns with the goals of a previously published industry call, is conducting research through Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) to test the application of low-carbon concrete for data center floors and aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions to over 50% per cubic yard.
“By leveraging the OCP community’s ability to influence the data center construction materials supply chain, this demonstration project will support the creation of sustainable and scalable data center buildings. Low-carbon concrete represents a significant advancement in environmentally sustainable construction practices. By reducing the carbon footprint associated with concrete production, we can make a tangible contribution to mitigating the data center industry’s environmental impacts. This demonstration will provide valuable insight into the performance and profitability of low-carbon concrete and pave the way for its widespread adoption across the industry,” said George Tchaparian, CEO of the Open Compute Project Foundation.
Although there are numerous new technologies to produce low-carbon concrete, the application is not yet widespread. This proactive and collaborative demonstration project is an important step in de-risking these new materials that will help decarbonize concrete. The data and practical experience that a demonstration project provides supports informed decision-making for those who want to use these materials in the future.
During this unique demonstration project, teams completed a series of floor slab installations using four different concrete mixes with decreasing global warming potential – with the lowest carbon mix achieving a carbon footprint reduction of more than 50% compared to today’s typical concrete. The mix formulas use additional cementitious materials and an alternative cement derived from raw materials and manufacturing processes that are commercially available today but not yet widely used to this extent due to perceived and technical implementation risks. To measure and observe the concrete’s performance in the real world, the implementation team developed a comprehensive test plan, including extensive laboratory and field testing conducted by industry experts and construction practitioners. The results of these tests will be used to better understand areas of risk, potential mitigation strategies, and opportunities to further optimize the mixes to deliver concrete that meets the structural performance requirements of data centers. These findings will be summarized in a final white paper and made available to the public through OCP to support other efforts to adopt new concrete technologies.
The demonstration took place on 8 August 2024in the WJE plant in Northbrook, Illinoisand were attended by senior technical representatives from AWS, Google, Meta, Microsoft, senior staff from the Open Compute Project Foundation, as well as representatives from the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Urban Land Institute, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), local and state transportation and tourism agencies, and members of the academic community.
The actions proposed in the Open Letter and now this demonstration project are designed to create aggregate demand for low carbon concrete, which in turn will create a market force to drive innovation. Through this open source approach, our organisations and others can gain confidence in new concrete technologies.
About the Open Compute Project Foundation:
The Open Compute Project (OCP) is a global collaborative community of hyperscale data center operators, telecom and colocation providers, and enterprise IT users working with the ecosystem of product and solution providers to develop open innovations that can be deployed from the cloud to the edge. The OCP Foundation is responsible for fostering and supporting the OCP community to serve the market and shape the future by making hyperscale-led innovation accessible to all. Serving the market is achieved by addressing challenging market barriers with open emerging market specifications, designs, and programs that showcase OCP-recognized best practices for IT equipment and data center facilities. Shaping the future includes investing in strategic initiatives and programs that prepare the IT ecosystem for major technology changes, such as AI and ML, optics, advanced cooling techniques, composable storage, and silicon. Open innovations developed by the OCP community strive to benefit all, optimized through the lens of impact, efficiency, scalability and sustainability.
For more information, see: www.opencompute.org.
Contact information:
Dirk Van Slyke
Head of Marketing, Open Compute Project Foundation
E-mail: (email protected)
Mobile: +1 303-999-7398
Quotes from key participants:
“Concrete materials and their use are changing as the construction industry increasingly focuses on sustainability and the use of low-carbon materials,” explained WJE Principal Thomas Van Dam. “As we introduce and advance new concrete technologies, we are helping our customers navigate these industry changes. Our extensive experience and robust laboratory and field testing capabilities make us uniquely positioned to solve problems and provide our customers with trusted information to guide their decisions and help them achieve their goals in the face of the realities of these evolving construction materials and practices.”
– Thomas Van DamPh.D., PE, FACI, Principal, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
“Amazon is committed to building a sustainable business for our customers and the planet to achieve net-zero carbon emissions ten years ahead of the Paris Agreement. Traditional cement used in concrete is a major source of carbon emissions, but these projects show that cement substitutes can be used to lower emissions without compromising the construction and durability of concrete. In 2023, we built 36 data centers with lower-carbon concrete, and we will continue to work across our supply chain to drive its adoption.”
– Chris WalkerDirector of Sustainability at Amazon Web Services (AWS)
“This groundbreaking demonstration of low-carbon concrete shows the enormous potential of rethinking traditional construction practices and adopting innovative solutions that put environmental stewardship at the forefront. Google is honored to work with our partners and colleagues to inspire confidence in the construction industry and incorporate more sustainable materials into data center construction projects.”
– Shen-JacksonDirector of Strategy and Incubation, Google Data Centers
“To achieve our goal of net zero in 2030, Meta is committed to reducing carbon emissions across our operations and value chain. Developing sustainable building materials is fundamental to achieving our own goal and advancing the construction industry. Open source initiatives like this project demonstrate the impact that cross-industry collaboration can have to make significant progress in advancing low-carbon concrete in large-scale construction initiatives. We look forward to continuing to work with our industry colleagues and researchers on this endeavor.”
– Blair SwedeenGlobal Head of Net Zero and Sustainability, Meta
“Microsoft is committed to becoming carbon negative by 2030. To achieve this goal, new sustainable materials such as low-carbon concrete in our data center infrastructure are critical. While we are making progress as a company, true decarbonization will only be possible with broad participation from the entire construction industry. We are excited to see how our ongoing collaboration with our colleagues and this pilot project can help push the industry to adopt new sustainable technologies that will benefit us all.”
– Katie RossDirector of Carbon Reduction Strategy and Market Development, Microsoft
SOURCE: Open Compute Project Foundation
