China Opens World’s First Wind-Powered Underwater Data Center
China Opens World’s First Wind-Powered Underwater Data Center
中国启用全球首个风能驱动的海底数据中心
China has become the first country in the world to operate an underwater data center, or UDC, powered by wind. Located off the coast of Shanghai, the complex represents a significant advance in the country’s strategy to secure energy supplies in the face of the accelerated growth of artificial intelligence, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and reduce the environmental impact of its technology infrastructure.
中国已成为世界上第一个运营风能驱动海底数据中心（UDC）的国家。该设施位于上海海岸附近，代表了中国在人工智能加速增长背景下，为保障能源供应、减少对化石燃料的依赖以及降低技术基础设施环境影响所采取的重大战略进展。
The initiative is the result of a collaboration between private company HiCloud Technology and state-owned China Communications Construction, which involved an investment of 1.6 billion yuan, equivalent to about $236 million.
该项目由私营企业海兰信（HiCloud Technology）与国有企业中国交通建设集团合作完成，投资额达16亿元人民币，约合2.36亿美元。
With an initial capacity of 24 megawatts, the facility is submerged at a depth of 10 meters in the Lin-gang Special Zone, within the China Pilot Free Trade Zone in Shanghai. This location allows seawater to be used as a natural cooling system, reducing the proportion of energy used to cool the infrastructure to less than 10 percent.
该设施初始容量为24兆瓦，位于上海自贸区临港新片区，沉入水下10米深处。这一选址使得海水可以作为天然冷却系统，将用于冷却基础设施的能源比例降低至10%以下。
This feature solves one of the main energy consumption challenges of conventional data centers, where air conditioning systems typically account for 40 to 50 percent of the total electricity required to operate.
这一特性解决了传统数据中心面临的主要能耗挑战之一，在传统数据中心中，空调系统通常占其运行所需总电力的40%至50%。
The thermal efficiency of the UDC is directly reflected in its power-usage effectiveness, or PUE. This metric is used by the industry to evaluate the energy performance of a data center; 1.0 represents the maximum theoretical efficiency. In its first phase, the Lin-gang facility is designed to achieve a PUE of no more than 1.15, a figure considered state-of-the-art within the industry.
海底数据中心的热效率直接反映在其电源使用效率（PUE）上。该指标是行业内评估数据中心能源性能的标准；1.0代表理论上的最高效率。在第一阶段，临港设施的设计PUE不超过1.15，这一数字被认为是行业内的顶尖水平。
Under this same cooling principle, HiCloud opened the world’s first commercial underwater data center in 2023 in Hainan, an island located in southern China. However, the Shanghai complex marks a milestone as the first to operate using offshore wind power.
基于同样的冷却原理，海兰信曾于2023年在中国南部的海南岛开设了全球首个商用海底数据中心。然而，上海的这一综合设施标志着一个里程碑，它是首个使用海上风电运行的海底数据中心。
Construction of the UDC was completed in mid-October last year. According to the Chinese government, “compared to traditional onshore data centers, the project is designed to use more than 95 percent green electricity, reducing energy consumption by 22.8 percent, and water and land use by 100 percent and more than 90 percent, respectively.”
该海底数据中心的建设于去年10月中旬完成。据中国政府称，“与传统的陆上数据中心相比，该项目设计使用超过95%的绿色电力，能耗降低了22.8%，水资源和土地使用量分别减少了100%和90%以上。”
The opening of the complex is an important step in China’s efforts to optimize energy supply through renewable sources and, at the same time, sustain its leadership in computing capacity linked to AI development.
该设施的启用是中国通过可再生能源优化能源供应的重要一步，同时也旨在维持其在人工智能发展相关计算能力方面的领先地位。
A report recently published by the UN points out that only 32 countries host data centers specialized in artificial intelligence. Of that global infrastructure, about 90 percent is concentrated in two nations: China and the United States.
联合国最近发布的一份报告指出，目前仅有32个国家拥有专门用于人工智能的数据中心。在全球此类基础设施中，约90%集中在两个国家：中国和美国。
Both powers have taken steps to secure the energy demanded by AI development, albeit through different approaches. While the United States has reduced investments and proposals related to the energy transition, China seeks to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels both to meet its climate goals and to reduce its vulnerability to external suppliers.
这两个大国都已采取措施保障人工智能发展所需的能源，尽管路径各异。美国减少了与能源转型相关的投资和提案，而中国则寻求减少对化石燃料的依赖，既是为了实现气候目标，也是为了降低对外部供应商的依赖风险。
Beijing’s energy self-sufficiency strategy stands out in this context. As the world’s largest energy consumer, the country is exploring technologies ranging from the use of materials such as thorium and bismuth to the accelerated expansion of renewable energies and nuclear generation.
在此背景下，北京的能源自给自足战略尤为突出。作为全球最大的能源消费国，中国正在探索各种技术，从钍、铋等材料的应用，到可再生能源和核能发电的加速扩张。
Last year, a new energy law came into force, which prioritizes the development of renewable sources and hydrogen in order to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and strengthen national energy security. The legislation also obliges the authorities to set minimum targets for consumption from clean sources.
去年，一部新的能源法正式生效，该法优先发展可再生能源和氢能，以减少对化石燃料的依赖并加强国家能源安全。该法规还要求有关部门设定清洁能源消费的最低目标。
In parallel, the country launched a profound reform of its electricity market. As of June 2025, all solar and wind energy is required to be traded through market mechanisms or auctions, gradually eliminating the old feed-in tariff schemes. These measures, accompanied by financial incentives and the phasing out of legacy subsidies, aim to boost investment in clean technologies and improve the efficiency of the energy system.
与此同时，中国启动了电力市场的深度改革。自2025年6月起，所有太阳能和风能电力都必须通过市场机制或拍卖进行交易，逐步淘汰旧的上网电价补贴机制。这些措施辅以财政激励和逐步取消历史补贴，旨在促进清洁技术投资并提高能源系统的效率。
China’s energy transition is not only driven by environmental considerations. It is also part of a long-term economic and geopolitical strategy aimed at strengthening its technological and industrial autonomy. In this context, the launch of the UDC represents a significant step forward that strengthens the country’s position vis-à-vis the United States and the rest of the world in the race to build the infrastructure that will support the next generation of artificial intelligence and other technological advances.
中国的能源转型不仅是出于环境考虑，也是其长期经济和地缘政治战略的一部分，旨在加强技术和工业自主权。在此背景下，海底数据中心的启用代表了重大进步，在构建支持下一代人工智能及其他技术进步的基础设施竞赛中，进一步巩固了中国相对于美国及世界其他国家的地位。