New Delhi, April 16: American experts express significant concern over China’s commercial underwater data centers. They warn that these facilities could pose a threat to marine environments due to excessive heat emissions. This could adversely affect neighboring countries like Vietnam and the Philippines.
China’s first commercial underwater data center is located near the southeastern coast of Hainan Island, in the shallow waters of the South China Sea. This project was developed by a company named Hailansin. According to reports, the center currently provides data storage and computing services to internet companies focused on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and big data.
Hailansin has previously worked with the Chinese Navy, developing smart ship systems, marine data, and nautical maps. In 2022, the U.S. Commerce Department blacklisted the company, alleging it used American technology to create systems that could assist Russia in monitoring submarines, divers, and warships near Ukraine’s coast.
The report indicates that China views the ocean not only as a resource but also as a strategic asset. The environmental damage caused by the increasing use of AI is being discharged into the ocean, which is a shared global resource, while China races to become the largest supplier of affordable AI computing.
A typical underwater data center pod consumes between 500 kilowatts to one megawatt of power. Hailansin plans to install 100 pods, potentially using between 50 to 100 megawatts of energy. If 100 megawatts of heat is continuously released into the ocean, it translates to approximately 100 million joules of energy entering the water every second.
Even with advanced cooling systems, such a significant amount of heat can raise the temperature of large portions of nearby seawater within hours.
The report also highlights China’s historically poor environmental record in pursuit of economic growth. For instance, while China leads in the production of rare minerals, this has resulted in substantial environmental degradation. Thousands of square kilometers of land and lakes have been damaged, adversely affecting the health of local populations. Extracting one ton of rare minerals generates about 2,000 tons of waste and toxic water.
Currently, these underwater data centers are situated in China’s coastal regions, distanced from neighboring countries. However, the ocean is not a closed system; the heat released gradually disperses throughout the marine ecosystem.
Hailansin claims that their systems only increase water temperatures by a maximum of two degrees Celsius, which they assert is manageable. Critics argue that using the ocean as a “free heat sink” is irresponsible, as it is a shared global asset.
According to the report, in the future, China may begin selling affordable AI services (tokens) powered by cheap energy and underwater infrastructure. Similar to the rapid adoption of solar panels and electric vehicles, people may quickly embrace these AI services, often overlooking the environmental consequences involved.
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