China Submerges First Underwater Data Center to Reduce Energy Consumption
Off the coast of Shanghai, the Chinese company Highlander, in partnership with several public groups, is preparing to submerge an innovative data center. The concept of the project revolves around utilizing the natural low temperatures of the ocean and ocean currents to cool servers, which traditionally consume a significant amount of energy, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence.
The system is designed in the form of an airtight capsule and is expected to reduce the energy needed for cooling by up to 90%. More than 95% of the electricity used will come from renewable sources, primarily from offshore wind turbines. This initiative falls under China’s strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of digital infrastructure at a time when the demand for energy in data centers is increasing.
The center is built on a platform, scheduled to be submerged in mid-October, and will serve China Telecom and a public company specializing in AI computing. This project could become one of the world’s first commercially utilized underwater data centers.
Numerous challenges remain, such as corrosion from saltwater, underwater maintenance, and the potential impact on marine ecosystems. To address these issues, Highlander has protected the servers within a steel capsule covered with glass panels, providing access above water for maintenance operations.
Similar tests were conducted by Microsoft in 2018 off the coast of Scotland, but they did not transition to commercial exploitation.
