Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Hitachi, and Hitachi Systems want to develop, operate and commercialise a floating data centre (FDC) converted from a second hand vessel. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect.
Based on this MoU, the companies will conduct demand verification, review basic specifications and operational procedures, and carry out feasibility studies for commercialisation of an FDC, with a view to commencing operations in 2027 or later.
The project will focus primarily on Japan, where the Hitachi Group already has operational experience in land-based data centres. Other areas of focus are Malaysia and the United States, where there are proven track records in providing services related to land-based data centres.
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Short construction period and re-use of materials
In recent years, demand for data centres has continued to grow alongside the rapid proliferation of generative AI, creating a need for diverse range of data centre solutions that take into account factors such as location, the availability of water resources for power generation and cooling, surrounding infrastructure, and disaster risks.
The three companies will assess the feasibility of commercialising an FDC converted from a used vessel. This solution eliminates the need to secure large tracts of land, enables short construction periods of about one year, and reduces environmental impact and costs through the re-use of existing hulls. The use of existing onboard systems, such as air-conditioning, water intake, and power generation, is expected to reduce initial investment requirements further.
In addition, because FDCs are floating structures, they are easy to move in response to shifts in demand. Depending on the type of vessel selected, they could offer extensive space in a relatively small footprint. For example, a car carrier with a floor area of approximately 54,000 m2 would rival one of Japan’s largest onshore data centres in terms of total floor area.
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Sea or river water for cooling
Data centres consume large amounts of electricity and generate significant heat, requiring robust cooling systems. As conventional air-cooling systems cannot adequately cool high-performance AI servers, the market is shifting toward water-cooled systems. However, because water-cooling requires large volumes of water, some regions in the United States have experienced conflicts with residents concerned about potential shortages of potable water.
As floating structures, FDCs can efficiently utilise seawater or river water for cooling, reducing both the power consumption required for server cooling and overall operational costs.
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MOL for conversion, Hitachi for data centre expertise
MOL will be responsible for planning and promoting vessel conversions, leading discussions with port authorities and other stakeholders, defining maritime operational requirements such as mooring and maintenance, and examining financing structures.
Hitachi and Hitachi Systems will leverage their experience in owning and operating land-based data centres in Japan, installing containerised data centres, and providing land-based data centre services in Malaysia and the United States. They will be responsible for technical studies on data centre design, installation, and operation, defining IT infrastructure requirements such as networking and security, utilising local expertise, and collaborating on customer requirement clarification and customer acquisition.
Picture: CG rendering of an FDC converted from a used ship (image by MOL).
