China Starts 24-MW Wind-Powered Underwater Datacentre off Shanghai
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 9
China Starts 24-MW Wind-Powered Underwater Datacentre off Shanghai
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 9
Summary
A 24-megawatt underwater datacentre began operating off Shanghai in May, marking the world’s first such facility powered by an offshore wind farm.
Located 10 km offshore and 10 metres below the surface, the Lingang project uses seawater for cooling and cuts power consumption by more than one-fifth versus land-based datacentres.
The 1.6 billion yuan project by HiCloud Technology and China Communications Construction is aimed at easing the energy and freshwater strain from China’s fast-growing AI infrastructure.
HiCloud had already launched a commercial underwater datacentre in Hainan in 2023, but the Shanghai site is the first to pair the model with offshore wind power.
China is accelerating datacentre buildout under its AI strategy and has pledged significantly more clean energy for AI infrastructure by 2030, even as experts say marine impacts will need monitoring.
Is China's underwater datacentre a green revolution for AI or a new, hidden threat to our oceans?
As China commercializes ocean-based AI, why was the West's similar underwater experiment left on the shore?
Underwater Data Centers Go Mainstream: Inside China’s 24MW Offshore Wind-Powered AI Facility
Overview
In June 2026, China launched the world’s first commercial underwater data center powered by offshore wind in Shanghai’s Lingang Special Area. This pioneering facility combines renewable energy with large-scale underwater AI computing, marking a major step toward green digital infrastructure. Completed in October 2025, the project is backed by USD 226 million and involves partners like HiCloud Technology and China Telecom. Designed for future expansion up to 24 MW, the Lingang data center demonstrates how integrating offshore wind power and underwater deployment can reduce energy use, cut land consumption, and set a new standard for sustainable, high-performance computing.