World’s first wind-powered underwater datacentre starts operating in China
Summary
China has started operating the world’s first underwater datacentre powered by wind energy off the coast of Shanghai. The underwater datacentre uses less energy and water compared to traditional land-based datacentres by taking advantage of natural seawater cooling and renewable wind power.Key Facts
- The Shanghai Lingang underwater datacentre began operations in May and has a 24-megawatt capacity.
- It is located 10 meters below sea level, about 10 km off Shanghai's coast, and powered by a nearby offshore wind farm.
- Being underwater helps reduce overall energy use by more than 20% due to natural cooling from seawater.
- Traditional datacentres use 25-40% of their electricity for cooling servers with chilled water.
- Underwater datacentres use much less freshwater, addressing water consumption concerns linked to AI infrastructure.
- The project is a joint effort by HiCloud Technology and China Communications Construction, with a 1.6 billion yuan (£177m) investment.
- China plans to increase clean energy use for AI and datacentres significantly by 2030.
- Underwater datacentres may affect local marine environments, but experts believe these impacts can be managed with monitoring.
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