China starts world's first underwater data center

The world’s first operational underwater data center, powered primarily by offshore wind energy, has commenced operations off the coast of Shanghai. The facility, a joint demonstration project between HiCloud Technology and the state-owned China Communications Construction Company, began functioning in May. It is situated approximately six miles from the Lingang Special Area in eastern Shanghai, submerged about 10 meters below the ocean's surface.

Chinese authorities state the project, which cost approximately 226 million dollars to construct, serves as a proof-of-concept for more sustainable data center infrastructure. Officials claim the submerged design leverages the ocean’s natural cooling properties, reducing the facility's power consumption by an estimated 22 percent compared to traditional land-based centers. Furthermore, they report it uses over 90 percent less water for cooling, a significant claim given global concerns over data centers' water footprint. The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health recently projected that global data center water consumption could reach 9.3 trillion liters annually by 2030.