A consortium consisting of NYK Line, NTT Facilities, Eurus Energy Holdings, MUFG Bank, and the city of Yokohama has signed a memorandum of understanding to build an offshore floating green data center.
With the advancement of digital transformation, an explosive increase in demand for data centers is expected, and large sites are required to accommodate this demand.
Data centers also need to be located near major consumption areas and be able to be used in the event of a disaster. As a result, the consortium is looking to push the location of such centers offshore.
The demonstration experiment, which will use a 25-metre by 80-metre mini-float moored at Yokohama Port’s Osanbashi Pier, is expected to commence in the fall of 2025.
The project will look at the viability of a data centre system fully powered by renewable energy with high energy efficiency and environmental performance.
A container-type data center, solar power generation equipment, and battery storage equipment will be installed on the mini-float while the salt damage resistance and operational stability of each piece will be observed.
Based on the results of the experiment, further expansion will be considered in the waterfront and marine areas of Yokohama Port.
In the future, offshore floating data centers could be located near offshore wind farms and use the electricity generated at the data centers to maximise the use of renewable energy without relying on or being restricted by onshore power grids. NYK also provided a conceptual image of how such an offshore floating green data center could look (pictured).
