Nvidia says its next-generation “Rubin” generation reference design for AI data centers significantly reduces water consumption by moving to fully liquid cooling. The company claims it has “pretty much all water usage” eliminated on-site, attributing the change to liquid coolant circulated in a closed-loop system. Nvidia also says the design reduces reliance on air-cooling approaches, which it links to additional water-related needs.
While Nvidia emphasizes that the liquid-cooled approach can eliminate on-site water use, at least some reporting notes that the claim may not address all sources of water consumption tied to AI infrastructure. Critics highlighted by outlets point out that the electricity and power required to run data centers can still involve water use at power plants supplying the grid. Quartz reports that the system circulates coolant at temperatures up to about 45°C in a closed loop, but notes this does not necessarily account for water consumed indirectly through power generation.
Overall, sources agree Nvidia is presenting its liquid-cooling design as a response to public concerns about water and energy usage, while acknowledging the debate over whether it fully resolves total water impacts across the broader supply chain.
