China has put into operation an underwater data center (UDC) powered entirely by an offshore wind farm near Shanghai, marking a first in integrating renewable energy directly with submerged data infrastructure. The data center is situated 10 metres below sea level, between offshore wind farm turbines in the Lingang Special Area of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone.
The project, jointly developed by the Lingang Special Area administrative committee, Shanghai Lingang Special Area Investment Holding Group, and HiCloud Technology, aims to reduce the environmental footprint of data processing by utilising green energy and seawater cooling. Construction was completed in October 2025 after a phased development that began with a 2.3 MW demonstration unit, scaling up to a total capacity of 24 MW in the second phase.
Powered directly by the adjacent offshore wind farm, the data center’s modules use seawater for natural cooling, eliminating the need for traditional air or water cooling methods. This setup reduces electricity consumption by approximately 22.8%, cuts water use entirely, and lowers land use by over 90%, according to project developers. The facility maintains a power usage effectiveness (PUE) rating around 1.15, which is considered highly efficient within the data centre industry.
The underwater data center is equipped with GPU servers that support a range of computing tasks, including big data annotation and domestic large language model (LLM) development. The infrastructure allows for the coordinated allocation of computing resources between offshore and onshore facilities, improving operational flexibility. Several computing clusters from organisations such as China Telecom and local service providers like LinkWise have already been deployed in the facility.
The project, valued at approximately CNY 1.6 billion (about $228 million), serves as a demonstration of low-carbon computing infrastructure and the potential for local utilisation of offshore wind power within the digital economy. By integrating data centre operations with renewable energy sources and leveraging the natural cooling advantages of an underwater environment, the initiative reflects growing efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of increasing global data demands.
The Lingang Special Area authorities have positioned the facility as part of wider plans for sustainable industrial development in the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone, supporting China’s national goals for clean energy innovation and digital transformation. The underwater data centre represents a pioneering step in exploring novel data centre models that balance high performance with energy efficiency and environmental considerations.
Currently operational with full integration to the offshore wind farm, the UDC project is expected to provide insights and technical know-how for future deployments of renewable-powered data infrastructure within China and abroad.
