In a bold leap toward Sustainable Computing, China has pioneered the world's first Commercial Underwater Data Centers, submerging servers beneath the sea to harness natural cooling and renewable energy.
As Global Demand for data processing skyrockets—driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and big data—traditional land-based facilities face mounting challenges like high energy consumption and water scarcity.
China's Innovative Approach, exemplified by projects in Hainan and Shanghai, promises to slash costs, reduce environmental impact, and set a new standard for the industry.
With the First Commercial Cabin going live in October 2025, these underwater marvels are not just experiments but operational powerhouses supporting everything from AI-driven restaurant recommendations to marine research.
The Hainan Pioneer: World's First Commercial Subsea Facility
China's Foray into Underwater Data Centers reached a milestone with the launch of the Hainan project in Lingshui county, off the southern coast of Hainan province.
Operated by Shenzhen HiCloud Data Centre Technology in collaboration with the provincial government, this facility features a massive 1,433-ton underwater cabin—equivalent to the weight of 1,000 passenger cars—submerged 35 meters (115 feet) below the surface.
The Cabin houses 24 server racks capable of hosting 400 to 500 servers, providing robust computing power for digital services like travel apps and smart recommendations.
The Key Innovation lies in its Cooling System: seawater naturally circulates around the cabin, eliminating the need for energy-intensive air conditioning that plagues land-based centers.
This Method Drastically Cuts Operational Costs and aligns with Hainan's "Blue Economy" ambitions, which emphasize marine innovation and sustainability.
Pu Ding, Project Manager at Shenzhen Hicloud, explained: “We put the entire data cabin in the deep sea because seawater can help cool down the temperature. Compared to land-based data centres, data centres under the sea can reduce energy consumption needed for cooling, helping to lower operational costs.”
This Project Draws Inspiration from Earlier Trials, such as Microsoft's Project Natick, which submerged a data center off Scotland in 2018 but was discontinued in 2024 without reaching commercial scale.
In Contrast, China's Initiative is fully operational and integrated into economic planning, attracting foreign investment through policies allowing full ownership of data centers in select regions.
Shanghai's Wind-Powered Wonder: Integrating Renewables Underwater
Building on Hainan's success, China unveiled another groundbreaking facility in the Lin-gang Special Area of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone—the world's first underwater data center powered primarily by offshore wind.
With a 24 MW power capacity, this center draws about 97% of its electricity from nearby wind farms, marking a significant step in green computing. The cooling mechanism mirrors Hainan's: seawater is pumped through 198 radiator-equipped racks, keeping servers at optimal temperatures without traditional cooling systems.
This Results in a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) ratio below 1.15—surpassing China's national green data center target of 1.25 for 2025—and reduces overall power consumption by nearly 23% compared to land-based equivalents.
Remarkably, it eliminates water usage entirely and cuts land requirements by over 90%, addressing global concerns over resource strain in data centers. Developed through a consortium including Shanghai Hicloud Technology, Shenergy Group, China Telecom, and China Communications Construction Company, the Lin-gang project supports advanced applications in AI, cloud computing, and big data processing.
It Positions Shanghai as A Hub for Intelligent Computing, aiming for a USD 28 billion industry and 200 exaFLOPS capacity by 2025.
Energy Efficiency and Environmental Wins
Underwater Data Centers offer compelling advantages over traditional setups. By submerging servers, China achieves up to 90% reductions in cooling costs, enabling 40% more compute capacity while slashing energy use.
Powered Largely by Renewables—like the 95% wind energy in Hainan—these facilities minimize carbon footprints and operational expenses. In land-based centers, cooling can account for up to 40% of power supply, but seawater's natural properties make this obsolete underwater. Environmentally, these projects save land and water, critical in densely populated China. They also enhance security, as submersion protects against natural disasters and unauthorized access.
As AI Booms, demanding vast computational resources, such innovations could help China maintain its edge in global tech, where data centers are projected to consume massive energy worldwide.
Challenges on the Horizon
Despite The Promise, underwater data centers aren't without hurdles. Maintenance is complex due to the harsh marine environment, requiring specialized equipment and divers for repairs.
Potential Environmental Impacts, such as effects on marine life from heat dissipation or infrastructure, remain under scrutiny, though proponents argue the benefits outweigh risks.
High Initial Costs And Technological Maturity Are Barriers, but scaling could drive down expenses.Globally, while the U.S. explores space-based data centers to leverage solar power and eliminate water needs, China's underwater model is already commercial, outpacing Western efforts.
Future Depths: Expansion and Global Influence
Looking ahead, China plans ambitious growth. Hainan's 14th Five-Year Plan envisions a cluster of 100 underwater cabins, forming an industrial estate for blue economy tech.
HiCloud aims to scale to a 500 MW subsea deployment, potentially revolutionizing data infrastructure.
These Developments Could Inspire International Adoption, especially in water-stressed regions, as the world seeks sustainable solutions amid AI's data deluge. China's underwater data centers represent a fusion of innovation and necessity, diving deep to cool the heat of tomorrow's digital world. As one expert noted, this could "change how we think about data storage forever."
For More Tech News, subscribe to our newsletter or share your thoughts in the comments below.