The world’s largest underwater data centre will be in the China Sea
A 68,000 m² data centre will be near Hainan Island
China is set to host the world’s largest underwater data centre, strategically positioned near Hainan Island in the South China Sea at a depth of 35 metres. Spanning 68,000 m², equivalent to ten football fields, the estimated cost for the entire project stands at $879 million, with a targeted completion timeframe of five years.
Participants in the endeavour have already submerged the initial data storage units, weighing 1.3 tons each. These units boast impressive capabilities, capable of processing over 4 million high-definition images in just 30 seconds. The collective performance of the entire data centre rivals the output of 60,000 standard computers, and its anticipated service life is 25 years.
Project proponents emphasise the advantages of utilising the seabed, citing space conservation on land and the natural cooling benefits provided to the equipment. This large-scale underwater data centre is projected to annually save up to 105,000 tons of fresh water.
Leading the construction, design, and implementation efforts are Offshore Oil Engineering Company, Beijing Highlander Digital Technology Co, and Shenzhen HiCloud. Beijing Sinnet, a prominent cloud computing provider in China, will assume the managerial role in overseeing the project.
