- Hainan’s underwater computing cluster matches the power of 30,000 games -PCs operating simultaneously
- Seawater cooled AI centers reduce energy costs and improve security
- Microsoft abandoned underwater data centers after early attempts
China has deployed 400 servers with high performance under the sea as part of an expanding underwater data center in Lingshui, Hainan.
China Media Group says this infrastructure will complete one year’s value of calculations to an average PC in just a second and can allow Deepseeks AI assistant to handle 7,000 conversations per year. Second.
The newly installed module, which measures 18 meters long and 3.6 meters in diameter, is linked to an existing facility to form a computer cluster designed to support AI-driven applications-there provides computer power equivalent to 30,000 high-end games- PCs that work at the same time.
Expansion of China’s AI infrastructure
XU Tan, Vice President of Highlander, a Shenzhen-listed maritime technology company and a key player in China’s expansion of underwater data center, highlighted the benefits of submerged data facilities.
“With the advent of 5G and even the 6g era, the data will increase exponentially and the construction of underwater data centers could meet the future requirements for this growth,” he said.
The Hainan Underwater Data Center, first launched in 2023, was the first commercial project of its kind. According to CGTN, the long -term plan implies the implementation of up to 100 data huts in several phases.
The project is in line with China’s strategy to improve its AI capabilities, with 219 intelligent computer centers launched over 81 cities from 2022 to 2024, according to IDC (originally in Chinese).
The company also projects China’s intelligent computer capacity will grow at an annual rate of 33.9% until 2027, playing a crucial role in AI research, data processing and automation across different industries.
Nearly 10 companies have signed agreements to use computing power in underwater data centers for AI model education, industrial simulations, game development and marine research.
However, this project requires thousands of submerged servers and the specific hardware to use remains unknown. AI accelerators with high performance AI, such as NVIDIA’s H100 or Huaweis Ascend 910, will be considered.
China has been pushing for domestic alternatives, so advanced AI chips from companies such as Biren Technology or Loongson are also opportunities.
While China is moving on with plans to implement up to 40,000 underwater servers in the coming years, US companies have taken a more cautious approach. Microsoft previously experimented with an underwater data center off the UK coast in 2018, but after picking it up by 2020, the company dug its National Park Underwater Data Center plans.
Via Globaltimes
