Consortium to Build Offshore Floating Green Data Center
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. This innovative project aims to address the increasing demand for data centers while focusing on sustainability and environmental performance.
With the digital transformation trend leading to a surge in data center demand, the need for large sites located near major consumption areas has become crucial. Additionally, the ability to operate in the event of a disaster is a key consideration for data center locations. The consortium sees offshore floating data centers as a viable solution to meet these requirements.
The project will kick off with a demonstration experiment using a 25-metre by 80-metre mini-float moored at Yokohama Port’s Osanbashi Pier, scheduled to begin in the fall of 2025. The experiment will focus on testing a data center system powered entirely by renewable energy, emphasizing high energy efficiency and environmental performance.
The mini-float will house a container-type data center, solar power generation equipment, and battery storage equipment. The consortium will closely monitor the salt damage resistance and operational stability of each component during the experiment. Based on the results, the potential for further expansion in the waterfront and marine areas of Yokohama Port will be explored.
In the future, offshore floating data centers could be strategically located near offshore wind farms to leverage renewable energy sources efficiently. This approach would reduce reliance on onshore power grids, maximizing the use of clean energy. NYK has also provided a conceptual image illustrating the design of such an offshore floating green data center.