Underwater data center deployed off Hainan coast

A groundbreaking underwater intelligent computing cluster has been deployed off the coast of Hainan province, representing a significant advancement in data center technology. The facility, powered by the equivalent of approximately 30,000 high-end gaming PCs, is capable of performing a year's worth of standard computer computations in a single second.

The cluster features an intelligent assistant powered by DeepSeek technology, enabling roughly 7,000 simultaneous intelligent conversations per second. A newly submerged data module, an 18-meter-long pressure vessel housing over 400 high-performance servers, was recently added to the operational underwater data center, forming the larger underwater intelligent computing cluster. The module connects to customer data terminals through nearby onshore stations.

Beijing Highlander Digital Technology Co, the cluster's builder, has secured contracts with 10 enterprises for applications ranging from large-scale artificial intelligence model training and inference to industrial simulations, game development and marine scientific research. The data center has been operating smoothly since its commercial launch, the company confirmed.

The innovative cluster is designed to be environmentally friendly, low-carbon and cost-effective. By housing servers in pressure vessels on the ocean floor, the system uses natural seawater flow for cooling and integrates with green energy sources such as offshore wind power, contributing to carbon neutrality.

China has mandated that large-scale data centers achieve a power usage effectiveness threshold of 1.4 or lower. Hainan's underwater cluster surpasses traditional data centers with a power usage effectiveness of 1.1, over 30 percent more energy efficient, according to the builder.

The cluster minimizes land usage by deploying equipment on the seabed and leverages natural and technological conditions to enhance reliability and streamline maintenance. Its modular design allows for deployment within 90 days from factory installation and testing. Located within 100 kilometers of coastlines where over half the global population and GDP are concentrated, the cluster aims to provide low latency and high-quality digital services.

Hainan Power Grid Co has provided tailored power supply solutions to support the cluster's operations.

"The total installed electricity capacity for the three phases of the cluster is 24,000 kilovolt-amperes," said Han Fuding, customer manager of the marketing department at the Lingshui power supply branch of Hainan Power Grid Co.

The Hainan underwater data center, a pioneering commercial underwater data center project, was launched in late March 2023. In addition to data storage, the facility functions as an undersea "supercomputer", capable of processing over 4 million high-definition photos in 30 seconds, equivalent to the concurrent operation of 60,000 traditional computers.