Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands at the forefront of technological innovation, promising to revolutionise industries and enhance efficiencies across various sectors. But as AI’s capabilities expand, so does its environmental footprint. By 2030, AI data centers are projected to consume up to 3% of global electricity, a significant increase from current levels.
Energy Consumption Challenge
The rapid growth of AI applications, particularly in data-intensive fields like machine learning and deep learning, has led to an exponential increase in energy consumption. Data centers, the backbone of AI operations, are experiencing unprecedented demand. The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that electricity demand from AI-optimised data centers will more than quadruple by 2030, potentially surpassing the energy consumption of traditional heavy industries such as steel and cement manufacturing.
This surge in energy demand raises critical questions about the sustainability of AI technologies and the need for a balanced approach to innovation and environmental responsibility.
China’s Ocean Cooled Data Centre Inovation
Off the coast of Shanghai, beneath the churn of offshore wind turbines, China has launchied a new kind of digital infrastructure—one that could reshape how the world powers its artificial intelligence boom.
Encased in watertight pods and cooled by ocean currents, the world’s first commercial underwater AI data center is now online. The facility, built by the Chinese tech firm Hailanyun, is designed to handle the kinds of intensive computational tasks that are quickly becoming the lifeblood of modern economies, from training large language models to powering real-time complex simulations.
It does so with almost no freshwater, no bulky air conditioning units, and nearly zero carbon emissions.
The new center is powered almost entirely by a nearby offshore wind farm, which provides 97% of its energy. Instead of using chillers and fans, Hailanyun’s underwater data center takes advantage of the ocean’s natural thermal stability. The facility uses sealed pipes to pump seawater across radiators attached to its server racks, absorbing heat and carrying it away in a slow, constant flow. According to internal assessments conducted with the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, this method slashes electricity use by at least 30% compared with land-based systems.
Sources:
- IOL, Sep 23, 2025. https://iol.co.za/…/2025-09-18-green-ai-navigating-the…/
- ZME Science, Aug 26, 2025. https://www.zmescience.com/…/china-has-built-the-first…/
China Environment News 