Are China’s underwater data centres a green solution?
Experts to break down the good news and the bad for the environment.
Black News 
Several kilometres off the coast of Shanghai, a bright yellow platform towers over the ocean. The surrounding five hectares are dotted with offshore wind turbines, all connected directly to this data centre, the heart of which is situated 10 metres under water.
This pioneering wind-powered facility takes advantage of the cool seawater to avoid energy and fresh-water use that would be needed on land.
AI technology and the smart economy are growing quickly in China. The country had 60 AI data centres operating or under construction by the end of 2023. This year, the figure is 250. Local governments and companies see underwater data centres as a new and more sustainable approach. But experts warn it is too early to say if they really are a green solution, voicing concerns over their impacts on nearby organisms.
Dialogue Earth asked those experts to break down the good news and the bad for the environment.
Huge energy consumption
More data centres going up has led to concerns over land use and the consumption of energy and water. China’s smart economy needs to tackle this as a matter of urgency. By 2030, data centres will be behind 4.8% of the nation’s electricity use, as predicted by the Beijing Institute of Technology in 2025 research.
Data centres use more electricity...
