The Open Compute Project (OCP) has announced it will work with hyperscalers Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, Meta, and Microsoft to drive the adoption of low-embodied carbon concrete or “green concrete” in data centre construction.

As is well known, concrete alone makes up 11% of total global carbon emissions. The new joint initiative aligns with a call to action to reduce embodied carbon in the data centre construction industry and will further efforts to develop lower carbon technologies.

Specifically, the OCP hyperscaler collaboration is conducting research through global engineering consulting firm Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) to test the application of low-embodied carbon concrete for data centre floors. The aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50% per cubic yard.

On 8 August 2024, OCP and WJE led a field demonstration event at the WJE facility in Northbrook, Illinois. The event was attended by senior engineering representatives from AWS, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, senior staff from the Open Compute Project Foundation, and 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 US Department of Energy (DOE), and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Representatives from local and state transportation and tourism agencies were also in attendance, along with members of the academic community.

50% reduction in carbon impact

During the field demonstration, project teams completed a series of slab-on-ground placements with four different concrete mixtures with decreasing global warming potential.

The mixture formulas tested the use of supplementary cementitious materials and an alternative cement derived from raw materials and manufacturing processes that are not widely used currently due to their perceived and technical implementation risks.

The performance of the concrete in practice will be measured in terms of a comprehensive test plan which includes extensive laboratory and field testing performed by industry experts and construction practitioners. The results of these tests will be used to better understand areas of risk, possible mitigation strategies, and ways to further optimise the mixtures to deliver concrete that meets data centre structural requirements.

The demonstration’s findings will be coalesced into a final whitepaper and made available to the public via OCP.

George Tchaparian, Open Compute Project Foundation CEO, said: “Low-embodied carbon concrete represents a significant advancement in environmentally responsible building practices. By reducing the carbon footprint associated with concrete production, we can make a tangible impact in mitigating the data centre industry’s environmental impact. This demonstration will provide valuable insights into the performance and viability of low-embodied carbon concrete, paving the way for its widespread adoption throughout the industry.”