Underwater data centers have the potential to use less power to cool servers, but the impact on the marine environment will also need to be studied to determine if the approach is a net benefit for the environment.
Tue, July 14, 2026 at 6:30 PM China is now operating an underwater data center, powered by the wind and submerged about six miles off the coast of Shanghai.
From 2018 to 2020, Microsoft tested the reliability of a shipping-container-size data center 117 feet deep off the coast of Scotland. , though a Microsoft spokesperson told The National News Desk via email Tuesday that the company doesn’t currently have any data centers in the water. The Microsoft spokesperson went on to say that the company will “continue to use Project Natick as a research platform to explore, test, and validate new concepts around datacenter reliability and sustainability.
”its 24-megawatt data center was designed to reduce power consumption by close to 23%, with the wind generating “green” electricity. China said its data center will reduce water and land use by 100% and over 90%, respectively. The global AI market is expanding rapidly, projected to grow from $189 billion to nearly $5 trillion between 2023 and 2033, according to aBut the report shone a light on a litany of environmental concerns over data centers.
Aside from land usage, a great deal of electricity and water is used United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health researchers found that global data centers consumed an estimated 448 terawatt-hours of electricity last year. If data centers were a nation, they would be the world's 11th largest electricity consumer, behind France and ahead of Saudi Arabia, the UNU-INWEH said.
And the report estimated that the water demands to keep powering artificial intelligence data centers will equal the water needs of 1.3 billion people by 2030. Eric Masanet, an expert in data centers and climate change mitigation, said it’s too early to tell. Underwater data centers could reduce the electricity needed to cool servers by using the surrounding water in a "once-through" cooling system, he said.
In that process, cool water is continuously pumped through a heat exchanger that absorbs heat from the servers before returning the warmed water to the surrounding body of water. Masanet said once-through cooling is widely used at power plants because it can remove large amounts of heat efficiently. Masanet said simply switching to renewable energy won't save any electricity at the data center, but carbon savings could be substantial if switching from fossil fuel-based power to renewable power.
And if the wind-power generation is right there at the data center, there could be energy savings due to reduced transmission and distribution system losses. The shorter the distance the electricity has to travel, the lower the transmission losses, he said. On the flip side, underwater data centers have the potential to harm marine ecosystems, but Masanet said more study is needed to weigh the impact.
The underwater data centers are designed to be maintenance-free for long periods, given the costs and difficulties of upkeep. So, sea life might not be disturbed by constant work at the site. But Masanet noted concerns over thermal pollution, noise and vibration, and other negative impacts on the underwater environment. In theory, as long as the water body is large enough, with enough natural mixing and cooling, underwater data centers should technically work in both saltwater and freshwater bodies.
And with responsible site selection and design, Masanet said the heat gain and hot spots within the surrounding water could be minimized.
“I would say that those issues need serious study, given what we already know about the effects of vibrations from ships on whales, for example, especially if the number of undersea data centers starts growing rapidly,” he said via email. Masanet said underwater data centers aren’t likely to replace data centers on land, which offer benefits such as easy access for tenants and reduced latency by being close to population centers.
A man was arrested in connection with a West Valley stabbing after police said he admitted to attempting to kill a man due to his religion. Peter Larsen, 48, wasThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints set a new record, with the number of full-time missionaries reaching 88,500. The Utah-based church announced TuesCNBC listed Utah as one of the 10 worst states to live in for 2026.
They used "hard data" like crime rates, air quality, and healthcare, and consideredthe costBystanders were credited with saving a woman's life after she lost both legs in a boating incident. The woman, only identified as being in her 30s, was struck byFirefighters responded to four fires in the Millcreek-Holladay area from Sunday evening to Tuesday morning during a record-breaking heat wave. On Tuesday morning
Please follow us on Google to support usUnited States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Rescue robot of tomorrow may be a cockroach in scuba suitThe flexible diving suit lets cyborg cockroaches survive underwater for up to three hours, opening new possibilities for flood and earthquake rescue.
Read more »
Emergency crews to resume water search at Benbrook Lake for missing 62-year-old manAuthorities will resume a water search Monday morning for a 62-year-old man who went missing after slipping underwater at Benbrook Lake on Sunday evening.
Read more »
15-year-old boy dies after going underwater in popular Chain O'LakesThe incident unfolded about 6 p.m., the fire protection district said, when a group of friends were out boating on Pistakee Lake, part of the popular Chain O'Lakes.
Read more »
CNN Data Guru Reveals Trump Is Underwater on Signature Issue“What we’re seeing with ICE is finding its way to the Trump administration at large,” Harry Enten said.
Read more »