China: Chinese authorities push ahead with plans underwater data centers

Underwater data centers are increasingly being looked to solve the industry’s sustainability issue. Submerging data centers underwater is reportedly more energy-efficient, addresses space scarcity, and sees facilities encounter fewer failures. Now, authorities in China are planning to invest in these kinds of facilities to reduce emissions, as the country currently produces more greenhouse gases than the entire developed world combined.

In China, each city and province must produce a five-year plan, and in conjunction with this, a number of provinces have included underwater data centers in their plans. Hainan is one of these provinces, which is working on a 100-module data center with Highlander.

Shandong is another province pursuing the underwater landscape for data centers. While Shandong authorities have yet to release details about the project, it is included in its five-year plan. Xiamen and Shenzhen are two cities that have also both made commitments to underwater data center investment over the next five years.