Offshore floating green data center. Courtesy of NYK
Japanese shipping company NYK and its partners have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop an offshore floating data center powered entirely by renewable energy, Ajsa Habibic reports via Offshore Energy.
The agreement, signed by NYK, NTT Facilities, Eurus Energy Holdings, MUFG Bank, and the City of Yokohama, outlines plans for a demonstration project featuring an offshore green data center. This facility will be installed on a mini-float, a floating berthing platform, designed as a disaster countermeasure.
The project aims to test the feasibility of an offshore floating data center powered by renewable energy from solar panels and battery storage systems. The demonstration will take place on a mini-float measuring 25 meters long and 80 meters wide, positioned off Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama City.
Based on the results, the partners plan to explore further developments in Yokohama Port’s waterfront and offshore areas.
As part of the initiative, a containerized data center, solar power generation equipment, and battery storage systems will be installed on the mini-float. The project will assess the feasibility of operating the data center entirely on renewable energy while evaluating the equipment’s resistance to salt damage and stability in an offshore environment.
Scheduled to launch in autumn 2025, the demonstration represents a major step toward realizing the world’s first offshore floating green data center.
Once implemented, such floating data centers could make efficient use of offshore wind power by being strategically placed near offshore wind farms. This setup would optimize electricity usage without being constrained by onshore power grids.
Additionally, this approach is expected to address various challenges associated with onshore data center construction, such as land availability, shortages of construction contractors, and extended construction lead times.
“We expect the offshore floating green data center, which operates on 100% renewable energy, will become one of the new standards for future data centers and greatly contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society by operating entirely on renewable energy and emitting no greenhouse gases during operation. Through the demonstration, we will work to address various challenges to achieve this vision,” NYK said.
