A Conceptual Design of a Data Centre in Caverns

Data centres are important information and communication technology infrastructures, which are fundamental to the development of the digital economy and smart city in Hong Kong. The increasing popularity of the latest technological applications drives the continuous market growth of data centres in Hong Kong. While there is a surging demand for data centres, land resources in Hong Kong are scarce due to the abundance of hilly terrains. Therefore, it is imperative to explore alternative development solutions to create spaces in addition to searching for available surface land. Numerous successful examples around the world have demonstrated that caverns are highly suitable for the development of data centres. These examples show that there are unique benefits, such as excellent security and stable environments, to house data centres in caverns. Nevertheless, there was no such precedent in Hong Kong. In the light of the above, a conceptual design scheme has been formulated to illustrate the planning and engineering considerations of housing a high-tier data centre in caverns, with due consideration of the geographical settings and technical requirements in Hong Kong. The paper will discuss the special technical considerations of the conceptual design scheme, including the site selection, cavern layout and design, space utilisation, energy efficiency, fire safety strategy, power supplies, operation and maintenance issues.