US startup plans to build data centers inside ocean-based wind turbines, servers water cooled via chilly North Sea — each leg houses a data center, firm set to launch three-legged prototype in Norway’s North Sea this year

A San Francisco-based startup, Aikido Technologies, plans to integrate data centers into offshore wind turbines, with a prototype set to launch in Norway's North Sea by the end of 2026. The design includes a 100-kilowatt unit combining a wind turbine with an AI server to address power and space challenges faced by AI hyperscalers. Each wind turbine can potentially house a 9- to 12-MW data center, utilizing water cooling from the North Sea to manage temperatures. While challenges like inconsistent wind power and maintenance costs exist, this innovative approach could offer a solution to current land-based data center limitations.