Term of the Moment
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Redirected from: Natick
Definition: underwater datacenter
A datacenter submerged on the ocean floor near a coastline because seawater cooling is economical. Electrical power is cabled to the module from the land. However, physical security and equipment maintenance are more complicated. See datacenter.
China's Underwater Datacenter Is Operating
Off the southern island province of Hainan, the first underwater datacenter for commercial service became available in late 2025. The first "data cabin" holds roughly 500 servers, and there are plans for up to 100 cabins. Contrast with KyotoCooling.
Microsoft Tested This Years Ago
China's Underwater Datacenter Is Operating
Off the southern island province of Hainan, the first underwater datacenter for commercial service became available in late 2025. The first "data cabin" holds roughly 500 servers, and there are plans for up to 100 cabins. Contrast with KyotoCooling.
In 2015, Microsoft's Project Natick was a proof-of-concept datacenter off the California coast. Seawater was pumped through the pipes at the top of the server racks. In service for only a couple months, this 38,000-pound 10x7-foot container held 300 servers. In 2018, a larger module the size of a shipping container was deployed near Scotland. (Image courtesy of Microsoft Corporation.)