China opens Shanghai Lingang underwater data center with 24MW capacity
China has taken data storage to a whole new level, underwater!
The Shanghai Lingang data center, opened in May 2026, sits 10 meters below the sea and over six miles off Shanghai's coast.
Powered by a nearby offshore wind farm, this high-tech hub was built by HiCloud Technology and China Communications Construction and packs a solid 24 megawatts of capacity.
Seawater cooling saves energy about 20%
Instead of using tons of electricity for cooling like most land-based centers, this one uses natural seawater to stay chill, cutting energy use by about 20%.
It also helps save precious freshwater at a time when global data centers are expected to gulp down trillions of liters each year.
Backed by a hefty 177 million pounds investment, the project is part of China's push for cleaner AI infrastructure, even though experts say they will need to watch out for things like warming up local seawater or stirring up sediment.