The severe power crunch for AI data centers has led to ideas of launching servers into space for constant solar power access. A startup, Aikido, believes the ocean offers a better solution. This year, they plan to submerge a 100-kilowatt demonstration data center off Norway’s coast within the pods of a floating offshore wind turbine.
If successful, Aikido aims to build a larger unit near the UK in 2028, equipped with a 15 to 18-megawatt turbine to power a 10 to 12-megawatt data center. Offshore locations could solve power proximity issues since the source is directly above, with consistent winds. This setup might eliminate NIMBY objections regarding noise and pollution. Cooling the servers would be simpler due to the cold seawater, unlike the challenges faced in space.
However, offshore data centers face harsh marine conditions. The servers must be secured against waves and corrosion due to seawater exposure.
Aikido isn’t the first with this idea. Microsoft proposed submerged data centers over a decade ago, launching a successful trial off Scotland in 2018. Only six out of over 850 servers failed in 25 months, partly due to using inert nitrogen gas. However, by 2024, Microsoft had ended the project despite open-sourcing its patents in 2021.