The huge cabin, weighing over 1,400 tons, is submerged approximately 35 meters underwater and houses 24 server racks with the ability to accommodate up to 500 servers.
The huge cabin, weighing over 1,400 tons, is submerged approximately 35 meters underwater and houses 24 server racks with the ability to accommodate up to 500 servers.
The world's first commercial underwater data center has been launched in China. It was located off the coast of Hainan Island, reports the Interesting Engineering website.
Chinese engineers have used seawater as a natural cooling system, which allows them to significantly reduce energy consumption and completely eliminate the need for fresh water. The marine environment creates stable conditions that contribute to more efficient operation of equipment.
The cabin itself weighs over 1,400 tons, is submerged approximately 35 meters underwater and contains 24 server racks with the ability to accommodate up to 500 servers.
The project is being implemented in the Hainan Free Trade Zone, which the Chinese government sees as a platform for innovation and development of marine technologies. According to plans, in the future there may be a whole network of such underwater "cabins" that will support digital services, scientific research and smart manufacturing.
China has also opened up rules allowing foreign companies to have full ownership in zones where such facilities are located, which should provide an additional incentive to attract investment in the latest data center sector.
Previously, Samsung and OpenAI agreed to develop infrastructure for artificial intelligence, including the construction of floating data centers on the water and separate floating power plants to power them.
