China looks to ocean for cheaper way of cooling power-hungry datacentres

Cables are pictured inside a datacentre in Paris, France. Some experts say an undersea datacentre would operate at greater power efficiency by taking advantage of the consistently cool seawater, but others are sceptical about investment returns and the reliability of undersea facilities. — Reuters

BEIJING: China is looking to the sea to help cut the cost of cooling datacentres housing powerful computers and servers, and also to reduce consumption of traditional energy sources in a sector known for its high electricity needs.

The southern island province of Hainan has commenced work on the world’s first undersea commercial datacentre, with completion expected in five years, the state assets regulator in Hainan said on its website on Monday.