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[Photo of a power barge (Source: https://karpowership.com/)]

The Potential of Offshore Data Centers Envisioned by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Nippon Yusen K.K.

As global digitalization accelerates and the adoption of generative AI expands, the demand for data processing is increasing year after year. However, onshore data centers face significant challenges, including power supply constraints, cooling efficiency issues, and land scarcity. Against this backdrop, initiatives to utilize the sea as a new frontier for data infrastructure are rapidly gaining attention.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL): Offshore Data Centers in Partnership with Power Barges

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has signed a basic agreement with a UK-based power barge company and launched an initiative to realize “offshore data centers supplied with power from a power barge.” This system involves converting used vessels to house data centers, which are then stably supplied with electricity from the adjacent power barge. MOL aims for commercialization in 2027, planning operations on a scale of 20 to 70 MW.

A key feature of this project is its flexibility: it can be deployed without reliance on land-based power grids or designated land plots. Other attractive aspects include efficient cooling that utilizes seawater and the ability to change the deployment location based on demand, thanks to its movable, floating structure. This new model for sustainable IT infrastructure is garnering significant global attention.

Nippon Yusen K.K. (NYK) and NTT: Offshore Green DCs Aiming for 100% Renewable Energy

Meanwhile, Nippon Yusen K.K. (NYK), in collaboration with NTT Facilities, Eurus Energy, and others, has started a demonstration experiment for an “offshore floating green data center” with the city of Yokohama.

They are verifying 100% renewable energy operation by installing solar power generation equipment and storage batteries on a floating facility set up at Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama. The plan is to create a model case for a low-environmental-impact, next-generation data center, with a future view toward direct integration with offshore wind power generation.

This initiative is verifying resistance to salt damage, operational stability, and energy efficiency in a real marine environment, exploring the potential for expansion from urban ports to the open sea.

The Expanding Future of Offshore Data Centers

MOL’s “Power Barge Model” and NYK/NTT’s “Renewable Energy Model” have different approaches, but they share the common goal of realizing sustainable data centers that are independent of onshore infrastructure.

• One approach aims for large-scale operation by leveraging power barges.

• The other approach aims for zero emissions through renewable energy.

Both initiatives hold the potential to contribute to global digital infrastructure strategies, with a view toward future integration with international communication networks and subsea cables.

Going forward, in addition to technical verification, crucial elements will include cross-sector collaboration—spanning telecommunications, power, and shipping—as well as regulatory development. These ventures into the new domain of offshore data centers are poised to attract worldwide focus as a Japanese-born model for the data center industry.