China has built the world’s first commercial underwater data center: energy conservation and technological breakthrough

China has officially launched the world’s first commercial underwater data center (UDC), located off the coast of Hainan Island. This project has become not only a technological achievement, but also a symbol of the country’s desire to strengthen its position in the field of digital infrastructure and the “blue economy” — a direction that combines innovation with the rational use of marine resources.

According to Interesting Engineering, the underwater data center is located near Lingshui County. Its main module is a massive steel cabin weighing 1,433 tons, which houses the servers. The first phase of the facility has already been put into operation: it serves a wide range of digital services — from travel platforms to restaurant and entertainment recommendation systems.

The uniqueness of the Chinese project lies in the use of natural cooling by ocean water. The pods are submerged to a depth of about 35 meters, where the temperature remains stable throughout the year. This eliminates the need for energy-intensive air conditioning systems, a major cost driver in traditional data centers. “The seawater helps to lower the temperature of the equipment and reduce energy consumption, which significantly reduces operating costs,” explained project manager Pu Ding of Shenzhen HiCloud Data Centre Technology.

Each underwater pod can accommodate up to 500 servers, located on 24 server racks. According to the developers, this architecture provides high-density computing power while minimizing environmental impact.

The underwater data centre is part of a large-scale plan to transform Hainan province into a high-tech digital hub. According to China’s 14th Five-Year Development Plan, a network of 100 underwater cabins is planned to be built by the end of the decade, serving the fields of marine research, digital services and “smart manufacturing”.

The project is being implemented within a special free trade zone, where full foreign ownership of data centers and telecommunications services is allowed. This should stimulate the inflow of capital and partnerships with the world’s leading technology companies, opening up new opportunities for international cooperation.

While the concept of underwater data centers is not new, until now it has only existed at an experimental level. In 2018, Microsoft conducted a test of its Natick project off the coast of Scotland, demonstrating the technical viability of the idea. However, the American company has never launched a commercial version.

China became the first country to implement a commercial version of the technology. In addition, the Hainan center is integrated into the power grid of an offshore wind farm, which allows for the combination of renewable energy sources with efficient natural cooling.

According to experts, the new format of data centers can reduce electricity consumption by up to 40%, make the industry more environmentally friendly and open a new stage in the development of global digital infrastructure. Thus, China's underwater data center not only demonstrates technological superiority, but also potentially forms a new standard in the field of data storage and processing in the 21st century.