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In March 2025, Google and Equinix jointly launched the “Net-Zero DCI“ initiative, which requires partners' DCI devices to meet a demanding standard of ≤0.1μJ of energy consumption per bit transmitted. The initiative is driving the industry to move towards silicon optical integration and liquid-cooled optical module technology.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global data centres will consume 650 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2023, accounting for 2.5% of the world's total electricity consumption, with 30% of that energy coming from data centre interconnect (DCI). Traditional DCI equipment relies on high-power coherent optical modules (400G modules consume >10W) and “always-on” sloppy operations and maintenance, leading to a surge in carbon emissions. According to IDC, the global sustainable DCI market will exceed $32 billion in 2027. If enterprises complete the transformation before 2025, they can enjoy the triple dividends of government subsidies, priority orders and brand premiums.
1. Silicon Optical Integration (SOI): from ‘discrete devices’ to ‘photonic chips’.
Traditional DCI devices use discrete optical components with a photoelectric conversion efficiency of less than 40%. The new generation of silicon-optical technology integrates lasers, modulators and detectors into a single chip, reducing power consumption by 60%.
- Case: 1.6T silicon optical engine from some manufacturers requires only 5.8W to achieve 80km transmission, saving 58% energy compared to traditional solutions.
2. Liquid-cooled optical modules: from ‘air-cooled cooling’ to ‘direct cooling’.
Liquid-cooled technology directly contacts the optical module chip through micro-channel coolant, increasing the cooling efficiency by 10 times compared with air-cooling, enabling the optical module to operate stably at a high temperature of 70°C, and reducing air-conditioning energy consumption.
- Case: Google's actual test shows that liquid-cooled DCI cluster PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) is reduced from 1.5 to 1.1.
3. Intelligent elastic bandwidth: from ‘static configuration’ to ‘dynamic adjustment’.
AI algorithms analyse business traffic in real time and dynamically close idle wavelength channels. For example, 50% of redundant wavelengths are automatically switched off at night when video traffic is low, saving 30% of energy consumption.
1. Standardised Interoperability
OpenROADM decouples hardware and software and supports mixed use of multi-vendor low-power modules. A cloud service provider reduces DCI procurement costs by 40% and carbon emissions by 25% through open architecture.
2. Green Energy Direct Connection
DCI nodes are directly connected to wind power and photovoltaic power stations, giving priority to the use of green power through the intelligent scheduling system. 100% of Meta's Arctic Circle data centre in Norway is powered by hydroelectricity, and DCI reduces carbon emissions by 80,000 tonnes per year.
3. Circular Economy Model
Modular design makes optical devices disassembled for recycling, and the reuse rate of copper and rare earth materials exceeds 90%. Cisco and Dell jointly launched the DCI equipment ‘trade-in’ programme, reducing electronic waste by 35%.
1. Integration of Optical, Computing and Storage
After 2025, DCI nodes will integrate edge computing power and energy storage systems, using idle computing power to optimise optical paths and energy storage units to smooth out fluctuations in green power and achieve energy self-consistency.
2. Carbon Capture DCI
Nokia Labs is developing a ‘photocatalytic fibre’ that adsorbs CO₂ while transmitting data, with the goal of sequestering 1 tonne of carbon per kilometre of fibre per year.
3. Global Green Corridor
Multinational enterprises are jointly building a ‘zero-carbon DCI backbone’ and laying solar-powered fibre-optic cables along the ‘Belt and Road’ to support green digital trade in Asia, Africa and Europe.
