China has become the first country in the world to operate an underwater data center, or UDC, powered by wind. Located off the coast of Shanghai, the complex represents a significant advance in the country's strategy to secure energy supplies in the face of the accelerated growth of artificial intelligence, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and reduce the environmental impact of its technology infrastructure.

The initiative is the result of a collaboration between private company HiCloud Technology and state-owned China Communications Construction, which involved an investment of 1.6 billion yuan, equivalent to about $236 million.

With an initial capacity of 24 megawatts, the facility is submerged at a depth of 10 meters in the Lin-gang Special Zone, within the China Pilot Free Trade Zone in Shanghai. This location allows seawater to be used as a natural cooling system, reducing the proportion of energy used to cool the infrastructure to less than 10 percent.

This feature solves one of the main energy consumption challenges of conventional data centers, where air conditioning systems typically account for 40 to 50 percent of the total electricity required to operate.
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A report recently published by the UN points out that only 32 countries host data centers specialized in artificial intelligence. Of that global infrastructure, about 90 percent is concentrated in two nations: China and the United States.

Both powers have taken steps to secure the energy demanded by AI development, albeit through different approaches. While the United States has reduced investments and proposals related to the energy transition, China seeks to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels both to meet its climate goals and to reduce its vulnerability to external suppliers.