China opens world's 1st underwater data center
China has opened its first large-scale underwater data center (UDC) off Shanghai, investing $226 million.
The project is designed for a total capacity of 24 megawatts, with a 2.3 MW demonstration phase currently operational and plans for future expansion.
Data center uses seawater for cooling
This is the world's first commercial data center using seawater for cooling and getting over 95% of its electricity from offshore wind.
That means it uses way less energy for cooling—under 10%, compared to up to half in regular centers—and hits a super-efficient PUE below 1.15, beating China's own 2025 target.
UDC is set to handle heavy-duty tasks like AI training
By ditching freshwater and shrinking its land use by over 90%, the UDC cuts total power needs by nearly a quarter versus old-school centers.
It's set to handle heavy-duty tasks like AI training, 5G, e-commerce, and more—all while showing how high-tech can go greener as China ramps up its digital future.