China builds the world's first wind-powered underwater data center

While data centers are the backbone of the digital world, they are also emerging as a major public health and environmental concern. A typical large data center can consume 3–7 million gallons of water daily for cooling. This water is often drawn from potable supplies, which can worsen local water scarcity. Additionally, most data centers rely on fossil-fueled power plants, often emitting hazardous air pollutants that increase the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in the surrounding population.

As a potential solution to these challenges, China has just announced the completion of the world's first underwater data center (UDC) project in Lin-gang. The project — which received an investment of 1.6 billion yuan ($226 million) — represents a bold step forward in the development of green and low-carbon computing infrastructure.

The project is designed to directly address the environmental drawbacks of its land-based counterparts. It is expected to rely on green sources for over 95% of its power consumption. It is also designed to reduce water consumption by 100%, use 90% less land, and reduce overall power consumption by 22.8%.

According to the administrative committee of Lin-gang, the completion of this 24-megawatt underwater data center represents a major landmark in the integrated development of UDC and offshore renewable energy.