China builds 1st underwater data center powered by renewable energy
China has completed construction of a one-of-a-kind underwater data center in Shanghai's Lin-gang Special Area, powered almost entirely by offshore wind.
The ¥1.6 billion ($226 million) project uses seawater cooling, aiming to make future computing greener and more efficient.
Data center slashes total energy use by nearly 23%
This 2.3 MW setup runs on over 95% green energy and slashes total energy use by nearly 23%.
Seawater cooling means power for cooling drops from up to half of usage to under 10%, plus there's no need for freshwater and barely any land is used—over 90% less than traditional centers.
Designed for heavy AI, IoT, and e-commerce workloads
Designed for heavy AI, IoT, and e-commerce workloads, the center already beats China's 2025 efficiency targets with a PUE of just 1.15.
Phase two will ramp things up to 24 MW with continued use of high levels of renewable energy and supporting international data flows.
Project could set the pace for eco-friendly data centers worldwide
Modular units sit below the surface, letting ocean currents cool everything naturally—no bulky refrigeration needed.
It wasn't easy engineering-wise, but this project could set the pace for eco-friendly data centers worldwide.