With the submarine model, energy consumption can decrease to 40 %, while sea water becomes a natural refrigeration system that reduces the need for artificial cooling.
Table of Contents
- With the submarine model, energy consumption can decrease to 40 %, while sea water becomes a natural refrigeration system that reduces the need for artificial cooling.
- Why does China take their data centers to the sea?
- Version 2.0 of underwater data centers
- How much did it cost and what capacity will it have?
- When will it start operating?
- A step towards submarine digital infrastructure
China has begun to place Submarine Data Centers in front of its coasts.
According to information published by Xatakathe objective is not to get rid of these facilities, but Take advantage of marine wind energy and the Natural cooling of water to reduce costs and release space on the mainland.
Why does China take their data centers to the sea?
The project seeks to attend two main challenges:
- Lack of space in cities: Technological infrastructure requires large extensions of land, increasingly scarce in cities such as Shanghai.
- High energy consumption: The operation and, above all, the cooling of these facilities represents up to 50 % of the energy used.
With the submarine model, he energy consumption can decrease to 40 %while seawater becomes a natural refrigeration system that reduces the need for artificial cooling.
Version 2.0 of underwater data centers
China had already tried this technology in 2022 on the island of Hainan, where it maintains an installation 30 meters deep without registering failures since its inauguration.
Although Microsoft experienced in 2015 with the NATICK project In Scotland, the case of Hainan marked the first real commercial deployment in the world. Shanghai’s represents the second generation of this infrastructure, now linked to technological expansion plans that include 5G, artificial intelligence and renewable energy.
How much did it cost and what capacity will it have?
The Chinese government and the company Hicloud Technology They invested 1.6 billion yuan (about 222.7 million dollars) to develop a 24 megawatts underwater cluster.
Some outstanding technical data:
- The sea water cooling system reduces cooling spending to less than 10 %.
- More than 90 % of energy It will come from marine wind farms.
- The goal is to reach a Energy efficiency (PU) less than 1.15figure that indicates an optimal use of resources.
When will it start operating?
The plan will be divided into two phases:
- First phase (2025): a demonstration installation of 2.3 megawatts It will come into operation in September.
- Second Phase: The full cluster will reach the 24 MW capacity and support the new digital technologies of the country.
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A step towards submarine digital infrastructure
With this project, China not only seeks to solve space and energy problems. It also wants to consolidate an infrastructure model that, in the future, could be replicated in other countries where technological demand grows faster than the resources available on land.
More than 90 % of energy will come from marine wind farms, ”authorities highlight as part of the commitment to integrate clean energy and new generation technology.
