Zhang et al. (2026): In-depth direct air capture integration to achieve zero-carbon and water data center
Yuxuan Zhang, Sheng Chen, Mincheng Gao, Xiaojie Lin, Binjian Nie, Yongzhen Wang, Long Jiang, IN: Carbon Capture Science & Technology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccst.2026.100615
Data center accounts for a considerable amount of annual CO₂ emission and water consumption, but current energy-saving technological approaches make it difficult to achieve net-zero carbon and water. As an emerging negative emission technology, direct air capture (DAC) can act as a backstop solution to ensure the realization of net-zero carbon and water in data center. This study proposes a strategy that couples DAC with data center operations, in which the waste heat generated by the data center is utilized for the desorption process of DAC. This approach enables effective waste heat utilization while simultaneously reducing both water consumption and carbon emissions of the data center. A case study is conducted to investigate the impacts of various factors on achieving zero-water and carbon operation.