China Plunges Into Renewable Tech By Dunking A Data Center In The Ocean

Off the coast of Shanghai, a revolutionary structure is forming beneath the waves: the world’s first wind-powered, commercial-scale underwater data center (UDC). Basically, submerging servers in pressure-resistant pods (similar to Microsoft's non-commercial Project Natick in 2018) is a direct response to the escalating power and cooling demands of data centers, which can consume millions of gallons of water daily just for cooling. In theory, this project (and ones like this) is a great solution to a large operational hurdle, but some experts are warning about the thermal effects on the ocean.

Traditional, land-based data centers expend up to half of their total energy consumption battling the heat generated by constantly running servers, relying on expensive and water-intensive air conditioning and cooling towers. By contrast, the UDC—located off the coast of the Lin-Gang Special Area of China Pilot Free Trade Zone (say that five times really fast)—solves ...