World’s First Wind-Powered Underwater Data Centre Begins Operations Off Shanghai

In May 2026, a data centre 10 metres beneath the sea, six miles off Shanghai’s Lingang free-trade zone, began commercial service. Powered by a nearby offshore wind farm, it supplies 24 MW for AI workloads.

The Guardian

China’s 2025 AI Action Plan calls for rapid data-centre expansion while cutting emissions, emphasizing renewable power and water-use efficiency. The plan spurred state-backed pilots that pair offshore wind with marine cooling to meet soaring AI demand.

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The venture is led by HiCloud Technology, a private cloud-services firm, in partnership with state-owned China Communications Construction. Academic commentary is provided by Dr Hanjiang Dong of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

The Guardian

The hull is submerged 10 metres below the sea surface, six miles off Shanghai’s Lingang district. It delivers 24 MW of compute power, entirely sourced from a nearby offshore wind farm. The Chinese government allocated 1.6 billion yuan (?£177 million) for the demonstration. Officials say the underwater design cuts power consumption by more than one-fifth compared with land-based facilities.

The Guardian

Seawater cooling eliminates the high freshwater use of land-based data centres, addressing warnings that global data-centre water demand could reach 9.3 trillion litres by 2030. Offshore wind power removes fossil-fuel electricity, cutting carbon emissions and lowering overall power demand by more than 20 % relative to conventional sites.

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The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said the project shows China’s commitment to sustainable AI infrastructure, citing the 1.6 billion-yuan investment and a pledge to expand clean-energy supplies for AI data centres by 2030.

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Marine biologists note that localized temperature rises could affect nearby ecosystems, though they view impacts as limited. The UN Institute for Water, Environment and Health warned that data-centre water footprints may still strain freshwater resources, urging monitoring of sediment disturbance and thermal discharge.

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No source provided quantitative data on actual temperature changes or long-term marine impact, leaving a gap in environmental assessment.

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• “Microsoft was earlier in proving the concept, while China moved further on commercial deployment because it was able to bring together market demand, industrial capability, marine engineering and policy support more quickly into a commercial project,” — Dr Hanjiang Dong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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• “An underwater datacentre is likely a good idea. While the cooling using seawater will result in some localised elevated temperatures, these will not be far reaching.” — Prof Rick Stafford, marine biologist, Bournemouth University

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• “The government has also pledged that clean energy supplies for AI infrastructure will be “significantly increased” by 2030.” — Chinese government spokesperson

The Guardian

The Chinese authorities have not disclosed further deployment timelines or additional sites for the underwater data-centre concept.

The Guardian