Case study : Greening Datacenters in Marseille

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This case study is based on a citizen investigation led by the collective “La Quadrature du Net”.

In response to growing concerns about water and energy usage, some data centre providers are adopting new techniques and communicating about them extensively. Let’s take a closer look at the “river-cooling” technique used by Digital Reality for its data centres located in Marseille port datacenters located in Marseille port.

In response to the increasing number of data centres being deployed in Marseille, and to what is considered to be ‘greenwashing’ communication, a group of activists have published an investigation into the environmental impacts of the data centers of Digital Realty in Marseille Port. Their analysis of ‘river cooling’ offers a critical view of the provider’s official communication.

The ” Galerie à la Mer”, built in 1905, is a mine drainage galery that evacuates the overflow of water from the former coal mines of the neighboring town of Gardanne, located north of Marseille. This overflow water is discharged into the Mediterranean Sea at Cap Pinède in Marseille. Managed since 2007 by the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (Office of Geological and Mining Research, BRGM), the national geological survey authority, the Gallery consists of an upper section, used to evacuate drainage ferruginous water from the former mine to the sea, and a lower section, known as the “cunette”, a drain pipe, which collects and evacuates rainwater runoff and infiltration water from the nearby Massif de l’Étoile. According to the final report document provided by the public inquiry commissioner in 2018, the water in this drain pipe is of “very good quality” and “drinking quality” water that can therefore be used for the population or as a strategic reserve in case of need, in a region prone to droughts.

The authors of this investigation highlight a conflict over the use of drinking water in a context of growing tension over this resource. Authors also highlight another conflict over access to electricity in the port of Marseille. The electricity needs of data centres are hindering the electrification of the city in particular the port. Indeed, electrification is an important transition lever in supporting the electrification of maritime transport, a major source of air pollution in Marseille, that could be responsible for 2,500 deaths per year in the city..

In this regard, a quote from Fabrice Coquio, the CEO of Digital Reality France, reported in an ADEME expert report, is particularly striking. Jean-Claude Gaudin had to negotiate to get back 7 MW “because they had forgotten to reserve them for their electric buses”.

Activists also point out that heat dissipation in this urban area contributes both to sound pollution as well as a local warming of the city, which are already subjected to regularly heat waves.

Finally the authors also call into question the accuracy of Digital Reality’s forecasts, pointing out the discrepancy between the anticipated water discharge temperatures in the initial project reports (23.4°C) and the actual measurements taken (27°C). Consequently, the risks to flora and fauna, particularly the risk of eutrophication, remain largely unknown. This all calls into question the official communications from data centre providers on environmental issues. This is particularly significant given that the MRS3 data centre was recently issued with a formal notice due to a refrigerant gas leak, which is a potent greenhouse gas.

Considering further that, given the absence of a leak detection system on the equipment, which by regulation alerts the operator or a maintenance company when a leak results in the loss of at least 10% of the charge of fluid contained in the equipment, does not allow the operator to implement corrective actions limiting the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the operator must be required to take the necessary measures to prevent serious and imminent danger to health, public safety or the environment, in accordance with article L.171-8 of the Environment Code;”

Formal notice served on INTERXION FRANCE for its site known as MRS3 in Marseille (2023), available here

Analysis of this data centre shows the importance of going beyond official communications by adopting a systemic and situated perspective that takes into account the socio-environmental issues of the area where the data centre is located.