China has launched the world's first underwater data center near Shanghai — Gizmodo
The Chinese companies HiCloud Technology and China Communications Construction have successfully built and commissioned the world’s first underwater data center.
The unique facility is located approximately 10 kilometers off the coast of Shanghai in the Lingang Special Zone, which is designated for high-tech manufacturing and research and development.
The innovative project aims to improve the energy efficiency of digital infrastructure by utilizing natural resources.
The new underwater structure is installed at a depth of about 9 meters below the sea surface. The total cost of the large-scale data center construction project amounted to approximately $226 million.
The facility’s current capacity is up to 24 megawatts, which is significantly lower than that of modern onshore data centers, which are increasingly reaching gigawatt capacities to support and develop artificial intelligence technologies.
The main advantage of the underwater location is a significant reduction in the costs of maintaining and servicing server equipment.
According to official data from Chinese authorities, the new facility will consume approximately 20% less electricity compared to traditional onshore data centers.
This result is achieved because it receives most of its electricity from an offshore wind farm, and the cool seawater provides constant natural cooling for the operating systems.
At the same time, the long-term impact of such large-scale facilities on the environment remains a subject of heated debate within the scientific community.
Previously, a similar experimental project off the coast of California faced serious environmental concerns.
International scientists have warned that the constant heat emission from an underwater data center could actively promote the growth of toxic algae or create unfavorable conditions for the survival of local marine life.
This is reported by Gizmodo.
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