World’s first wind-powered underwater datacentre begins operation off Shanghai

The Shanghai Lingang undersea datacentre demonstration project, developed by HiCloud Technology and China Communications Construction, is located about 10 kilometres offshore and operates 10 metres below the sea surface, drawing power from an adjacent offshore windfarm, News.Az reports, citing The Guardian.

With a capacity of 24 megawatts, the facility is designed to reduce energy consumption by more than 20% compared with land-based datacentres, aided by natural seawater cooling that lowers the need for electricity-intensive temperature control systems. Officials said the project also reduces reliance on freshwater resources typically used in conventional cooling systems.

China has positioned the project as part of its broader strategy to support artificial intelligence infrastructure, with underwater deployment offering both energy efficiency and environmental advantages. However, experts note that such systems may still pose risks to marine ecosystems, including localized warming and sediment disturbance, requiring continued monitoring as the technology scales.