China to launch commercial underwater data center — facility expected to consume 90% less power for cooling

Highlander, a Chinese company, is constructing a submerged server pod near Shanghai to reduce cooling power consumption by around 90%. The facility is set to be operational commercially, with China Telecom among its initial clients. The project follows Microsoft's underwater data center experiment in Scotland in 2024. Despite concerns about ocean warming due to continuous heat output, Highlander plans to source 95% of its energy from renewable sources and has implemented special measures to protect its systems from saltwater corrosion.