China officially launched the world's first wind-powered underwater data center (UDC) today off the coast of Shanghai. Sunk 10 meters below sea level near the Lingang Special Area, the facility boasts an initial computing capacity of 24 MW. Built by private firm HiCloud Technology and state-owned China Communications Construction Group with a RMB 1.6 billion (USD 236 million) investment, the UDC completed construction in October 2025 and began operations after months of testing.
Seawater Cooling: Zero Water Use, 90% Land Savings
Traditional land-based data centers spend 40% to 50% of total electricity on air conditioning, but this UDC uses cold seawater as a natural coolant, cutting cooling energy consumption to below 10%. Official data shows a 22.8% drop in overall energy consumption, 100% reduction in water use for cooling, and over 90% less land occupied compared to similar land-based centers. Its first-phase Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is 1.15, among the best globally.
100% Offshore Wind Power: Over 95% Clean Energy
HiCloud operated the world's first commercial UDC in Hainan since 2023, but this Shanghai facility is the first to be entirely powered by offshore wind, delivering >95% green electricity around the clock. Since June 2025, China's wind and solar power have fully entered the electricity market, allowing the UDC to directly tap into offshore wind grids — stabilizing AI chip power supply and absorbing clean energy efficiently.
Sino-US AI Infrastructure Race: Energy Strategy Behind Green Tech
A UN report notes China and the US host 90% of global AI-specific data center infrastructure. With US chip export curbs, Beijing is using green infrastructure innovation to bypass energy bottlenecks. Analysts see the Shanghai wind-powered UDC as part of China's energy self-sufficiency and tech autonomy playbook — expanding renewables and nuclear to insulate the next-gen AI boom from fossil fuel dependence and shore up its global digital economy lead.