Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - China has launched the world\u2019s first\nunderwater data centre powered directly by offshore wind energy. The\nfacility is touted as a breakthrough to meet the surge in AI computing\ndemand while reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions.<\/p>\n
According to China Daily, the Shanghai Lingang underwater data centre\ndemonstration project will commence operations in May 2026 in the East\nShanghai offshore waters. The facility, built by a subsidiary of China\nCommunications Construction, integrates offshore engineering, renewable\nenergy, and AI-based digital infrastructure technologies.<\/p>\n
Located approximately 10 kilometres off the Lingang coast in\nShanghai, the project has a rated capacity of 24 megawatts, sufficient\nto power around 20,000 households.<\/p>\n
The project\u2019s key advantage is its \u2018direct offshore wind connection\u2019\nmodel. Electricity generated from offshore wind farms is transmitted\ndirectly to the underwater data centre modules via subsea photovoltaic\ncomposite cables, bypassing conventional power grids.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the system uses seawater for natural cooling via a\ncirculating copper pipe heat exchange design, reducing electricity\nconsumption by 22.8%, eliminating freshwater use entirely, and cutting\nland use by over 90%.<\/p>\n
This data centre\u2019s operation comes amid surging AI computing demand\nin China. Shanghai has emerged as one of the country\u2019s largest AI\ndevelopment hubs, hosting companies in AI model development, autonomous\nvehicles, biotechnology, fintech, and advanced manufacturing.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, data centre energy demands remain a global challenge.\nModern AI infrastructure requires substantial electricity, particularly\nfor cooling systems, which have historically been a major energy\nconsumer.<\/p>\n
Professor Li Zhen of Tsinghua University explained that conventional\ndata centres typically allocate about a third of their electricity\nconsumption to cooling.<\/p>\n
\u2018For an underwater data centre of similar scale, the electricity used\nfor cooling would only account for around one-tenth of total power\nconsumption,\u2019 said Li, according to China Daily on Monday, 1 June\n2026.<\/p>\n
He noted that China\u2019s data centres currently consume around 250\nbillion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, with approximately 80\nbillion kWh dedicated to cooling.<\/p>\n
\u2018If such a data centre were placed underwater, even accounting for\nadditional margins, cooling consumption could drop to around 30 billion\nkWh,\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n
\u2018This would save approximately 50 billion kWh of electricity\nannually,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
Professor Li estimated that this saving is equivalent to reducing the\nburning of about 15 million tonnes of standard coal annually,\npotentially significantly cutting carbon emissions.<\/p>\n
The development of this underwater data centre also demonstrates\nChina\u2019s new strategy for AI-era infrastructure, integrating energy,\ncooling, and computing systems into a unified ecosystem.<\/p>\n
According to Li, China, long recognised as the world\u2019s largest\nmanufacturing hub, is now building the foundations for next-generation\ninfrastructure to support AI growth, particularly in coastal regions\nfacing land, electricity, and freshwater constraints.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/china-launches-worlds-first-underwater-data-centre-1780320060", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }