Key facts
- Batam residents protested data centers, claiming they are causing water shortages.
- Protesters reported no water from taps for three months, relying on tanker trucks.
- Authorities denied water diversion to data centers, citing a prolonged dry spell.
- Firms opening data centers were previously told to build their own desalination plants.
- Data center power demand in Batam is projected to exceed 1,100MW by 2030.
- Singapore has paused data center construction due to land and energy constraints.
Residents on the Indonesian island of Batam have protested against the rapid development of data centers, alleging that the facilities are exacerbating severe water shortages. Protesters, armed with empty bottles and jerry cans, demonstrated outside a data center compound, claiming their taps had been dry for months while the facilities continued to operate.
Dewi Susanti, a resident of Bakau Serip village, told the BBC that her community had been relying on "dirty, cloudy and smelly" water from tanker trucks since their regular supply ceased. She stated that water had been reliable until the data centers arrived.
Batam's water utility acknowledged efforts to improve supply but did not directly link the disruption to data center demand. BP Batam, the agency overseeing trade and industry, attributed the shortages to a prolonged dry spell and denied allegations that water intended for residents was being diverted to data centers.
This is not the first such protest on Batam, an island seeking to become a digital hub. Following similar demonstrations in August and September, authorities had instructed data center firms to construct their own desalination plants rather than drawing from existing reservoirs. However, locals remain concerned about competing with servers for water resources.
Professor Agus Hasan of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology noted the scarcity of reliable data on data center water usage in Indonesia, as companies often treat this information as proprietary. He advocated for rational, transparent, and responsible data center development, urging for visibility into their water consumption.
Globally, data centers are facing scrutiny over their environmental impact. The massive, windowless buildings require significant water for cooling to prevent servers from overheating. Research suggests a typical data center can consume as much water daily as 1,000 US households, and a larger facility could use as much as 2,200 households. While electricity powers these centers, water is crucial for their operation.
Batam, which lacks natural freshwater sources, relies on rainwater collected in six artificial reservoirs for its 1.3 million residents. Simulations by local environmental group Akar Bhumi Indonesia suggest that the Nongsa reservoir, which supplies water to Bakau Serip, could dry up within a month without rainfall. The water shortage is impacting livelihoods, with residents spending money on water drums and facing difficulties in daily routines.
Authorities have approved 10 data centers for Batam, with six planned for Nongsa Digital Park. Two are operational, one is under construction, and more are under review. The island's attractiveness to investors from the US, China, Australia, and Singapore stems from low operating costs, proximity to Singapore, and access to subsea cable routes.
Singapore, facing its own land and energy constraints, paused data center construction in 2019 before lifting the ban in 2022 with new efficiency standards, prompting investors to seek alternative locations like Batam and Malaysia's Johor state. Johor has also seen significant data center development, leading to similar resident complaints about noise, dust, and water shortages.
Official estimates project power demand from data centers in Batam to surpass 1,100MW by 2030, enough to power nearly a million homes. Companies like Hong Kong-based Gaw Capital, Indonesian developer Sinar Primera, Singapore's DayOne, chip maker Nvidia, and Australian startup Firmus Technologies are involved in these projects.
Locals in Batam are urging authorities to prioritize their needs over new data center projects, emphasizing the hardship faced by ordinary people due to water scarcity.