In a groundbreaking development for the tech industry, the world's first commercial underwater data center was unveiled recently in Lingshui County, China's southernmost island province of Hainan.
The underwater data center is designed to operate efficiently while significantly reducing energy consumption and environmental impact.
In the picturesque Lingshui County, the underwater data center quietly operates beneath the waves, representing a remarkable advancement in data storage technology.
This innovative facility not only saves approximately 30 percent of electricity but also conserves vital water and land resources, contributing to the sustainable development of Hainan's Free Trade Port.
Yan Wenrui, a technical specialist at HiCloud Data Center Technology Co., Ltd., said the center's design and location allow it to harness the natural cooling properties of seawater, drastically reducing energy needs compared to traditional land-based data centers, adding that the advantages of an underwater data center are manifold.
"First, it significantly reduces energy consumption. By using a passive cooling system based on seawater circulation, we cut electricity use by around 30 percent compared with land-based data centers of the same scale. Under current domestic standards, the electricity saved would be enough to power more than 10,000 households for a month," Yan explained.
"Second, it conserves water. Conventional land-based data centers rely on large cooling towers, which remove heat through the evaporation of freshwater. Typically, for every kilowatt-hour of electricity used, a land data center uses about 1.5 liters of freshwater. Our subsea data center uses seawater for cooling, dramatically reducing freshwater consumption. That's the second advantage," he said.
"The third is land efficiency. As you can see, most of the infrastructure is located on the seabed, while the onshore facilities occupy a very small footprint. For the same capacity, we require only about one-fifth of the land used by a conventional land-based data center," he added.
The establishment of this underwater data center aligns with China's broader vision for Hainan Island.
In June 2020, the central authorities introduced a master plan to transform Hainan into a globally influential free trade port by mid-century. Following the approval of the underwater data center project in 2021, it became operational in 2022, marking a significant milestone in technological innovation.
Despite potential concerns regarding operational and maintenance costs for such a facility, Yan reassures that routine operations require minimal personnel.
Advanced subsea sensors and monitoring systems handle most tasks, transmitting operational data to onshore facilities in real time, he said.
Environmental considerations are paramount in the deployment of subsea data centers, Yan said, assuring that comprehensive environmental assessments are conducted prior to construction.
Tests show that beyond a radius of two to three meters from the center of the subsea data center, temperature increase is virtually negligible, only a few hundredths of a degree Celsius.
"One of the key functions of our subsea data center is to support CDN services. CDN stands for Content Delivery Network. Many of the AI applications we hear about today - for example, when you ask a question and an answer is quickly generated - rely on the intelligent computing power provided by data centers like this one," Yan said.
As Lingshui solidifies its position as a key area within the Hainan Free Trade Port, the facility's strategic location enhances international communication networks, with several international cable landing stations now in proximity.
With the official launch of the Free Trade Port's special customs operations, demand for data storage and computing power is anticipated to surge, positioning Hainan as a central hub for cross-border and international exchanges in computing capabilities.
This pioneering underwater data center not only exemplifies technological innovation but also represents a significant stride towards sustainable development in the digital age.
World's 1st commercial underwater data center in Hainan pioneers sustainable technology
