China Is Putting Data Centers in the Ocean to Keep Them Cool (www.scientificamerican.com)
from yogthos@lemmy.ml to technology@lemmy.ml on 17 Sep 21:35
https://lemmy.ml/post/36301108

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nullPointer@programming.dev on 18 Sep 05:49 next collapse

because the oceans can’t warm fast enough.

KimBongUn420@lemmy.ml on 18 Sep 06:04 next collapse

The project is set to use 30% less electricity and is powered by wind. Better than the Western approach of building data centers in deserts to waste scarce water for cooling for sure

MrSulu@lemmy.ml on 18 Sep 06:21 next collapse

I am far from expert on this, but I’m not sure that they will be sufficient to change the oceanic temps compared to the wider worldwide greenhouse effect. Every data centre is already adding heat and most are reliant upon fossil fuels. The AI operations excessively so. Definitely need to do the works of a job on climate change.

Zerush@lemmy.ml on 18 Sep 12:52 next collapse

The heat of even huge datacenters in the ocean is irrelevant, compared to the caused by the energy generation needed for cooling datacenters on land. Energy needed for cooling in submarine servers is zero.

yogthos@lemmy.ml on 18 Sep 13:51 collapse

More energy being spent cooling data centers on land ultimately heats up the whole system more, including the oceans. This is why you should pay attention in your physics class at school kids.

umbrella@lemmy.ml on 18 Sep 09:34 next collapse

thats not exactly a novel approach.

Zerush@lemmy.ml on 18 Sep 12:52 next collapse

MS servers are undersee since time, nothing new

news.microsoft.com/…/project-natick-underwater-da…

gil2455526@lemmy.eco.br on 18 Sep 18:42 collapse

In 2024, they cancelled it.

datacenterdynamics.com/…/microsoft-confirms-proje…

Zerush@lemmy.ml on 18 Sep 19:48 collapse

I think that they will return to it, due to the growing need, also because of the growing use of LLM everywhere, which is a big energy problem and costs only for the cooling. The chinese saw it that the best manner is to use submarine servers, which no need energy for the cooling, saving a lot of money. The energy need of cooling large data centers are a lot of MW + of what the need is from the servers. The only other alternative are datacenters in polar regions, done already by nordic countries. The drawback of submarine servers is the accessibility, but with the saved money in energy it’s a minor problem. Independent of political opinions, western countries can learn a lot of chinese, we look to much on lobby interests of big corporations, which often break down the developement of new tecnologies.

krunklom@lemmy.zip on 18 Sep 19:56 collapse

Why not just build all the datacenters in the arctic? What am I missing?