Intel this week announced investment plans to expand data center sustainability with a research and development mega lab focused on tackling data center heating, cooling, and water usage.

The 200,000-square-foot mega lab will cost the chipmaker over $700 million and is expected to open on Intel's Hillsboro, Oregon Jones Farm campus in late 2023.

In addition to developing sustainability-focused data center tech, the lab will also qualify and test Intel's other data center products like its Xeon and FPGA architectures, network interfaces and switch gear, and other products currently in development.

Intel also says the mega lab will have a technology showcase where customers and partners can observe and test Intel products in hands-on lab-based data center environments.

"The future of the data center and data center design is based on innovative and sustainable technologies and practices, and I’m proud of the work we’re doing every day to help make a sustainable future a reality," Intel EVP Sandra Rivera said in a statement.

In a similar vein, Intel also announced plans to share the industry's first open intellectual property immersion liquid cooling tech and its reference design.

The company hopes the free availability of this complex tech will spark broader industry adoption of immersion cooling while accelerating "the introduction of Intel solutions in response to the trend of increasing data center power density to enhance operational efficiency."

Intel plans to develop the initial immersion cooling solution and design proof of concept in collaboration with Intel Taiwan "and across the Taiwanese ecosystem in a phased approach, with plans to scale out globally," according to the company.