Purpose of Activity

The data center industry has experienced significant growth over the past decade and will consume an estimated 240-490 TWh of electricity in 2023, equivalent to 0.911 TP3T to 1.851 TP3T of global annual energy consumption. The number of servers worldwide has also increased from 11 million in 2006 to 20 million by 2020. As the industry expands, demand for electricity is projected to increase further, reaching 3.11 TP3T of the world's annual energy consumption by 2030. Against this backdrop, we will examine the feasibility of a lunar data center and pursue sustainable solutions to reduce the energy load on Earth. This project will integrate technologies from the space, telecommunications, and energy sectors to develop the concept of a lunar data center and propose innovative options to meet future energy demands.

Activities

• Survey international activities, plans, and policies related to lunar data centers and related infrastructure.
• Evaluate the feasibility of a lunar data center based on technical challenges, energy requirements, communication systems, and sustainability.
• Analyze the expected exponential increase in power consumption of data centers on Earth and examine whether a lunar data center can support that demand.
• Conduct interviews with experts.

project leader

NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION

TAKAHASHI, Madoka