China has reportedly completed the first phase of construction on what it claims is the world’s first large-scale Underwater Data Centre (UDC). Located in Shanghai’s Lin-gang Special Area, the $226 million project represents a significant global breakthrough in the quest for sustainable and energy-efficient computing infrastructure, a report has said.
According to a report by Wired, the initiative is designed to address the soaring energy demands of traditional data centres by utilising the ocean itself.
Why this data centre is ‘one-of-a-kind’
The primary advantage of the UDC is its innovative cooling system. Traditional, land-based data centres use up to 50% of their total energy consumption on air conditioning to prevent server overheating. The Lin-gang UDC solves this by submerging servers beneath the ocean surface, where seawater acts as a constant, natural cooling system.
According to Su Yang, general manager of Shanghai Hicloud Technology, this dramatically reduces the energy demand for cooling to less than 10%. The entire project, which has a total power capacity of 24 megawatts, is powered primarily by offshore wind energy .
OpenAI write to US government over investment in energy
This comes a day after ChatGPT-maker OpenAI urged the US government to increase investment in new domestic energy capacity, arguing that failure to do so risks handing global leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) to China. The Microsoft-backed company submitted an 11-page document to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, outlining the critical threat posed by the massive, power-hungry infrastructure needed for next-generation AI.
The company warned that the development of AI is placing immense strain on the nation's existing electric grid. To keep pace with international rivals, OpenAI urged the US to commit to building 100 gigawatts (GW) of new energy capacity each year.
Notably, China added a total of 429 GW of new power capacity last year while the US added only 51 GW during the same period, OpenAI said.
According to a report by Wired, the initiative is designed to address the soaring energy demands of traditional data centres by utilising the ocean itself.
Why this data centre is ‘one-of-a-kind’
The primary advantage of the UDC is its innovative cooling system. Traditional, land-based data centres use up to 50% of their total energy consumption on air conditioning to prevent server overheating. The Lin-gang UDC solves this by submerging servers beneath the ocean surface, where seawater acts as a constant, natural cooling system.
According to Su Yang, general manager of Shanghai Hicloud Technology, this dramatically reduces the energy demand for cooling to less than 10%. The entire project, which has a total power capacity of 24 megawatts, is powered primarily by offshore wind energy .
OpenAI write to US government over investment in energy
This comes a day after ChatGPT-maker OpenAI urged the US government to increase investment in new domestic energy capacity, arguing that failure to do so risks handing global leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) to China. The Microsoft-backed company submitted an 11-page document to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, outlining the critical threat posed by the massive, power-hungry infrastructure needed for next-generation AI.
The company warned that the development of AI is placing immense strain on the nation's existing electric grid. To keep pace with international rivals, OpenAI urged the US to commit to building 100 gigawatts (GW) of new energy capacity each year.
Notably, China added a total of 429 GW of new power capacity last year while the US added only 51 GW during the same period, OpenAI said.
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