Floating Data Centers Emerge as Growth Engine for Shipbuilding Industry
As the power and land shortages triggered by the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution accelerate, the “Floating Data Center (FDC),” which operates AI servers on the sea, is emerging as a massive game-changer in the global shipbuilding and offshore industry. Following Samsung Heavy Industries, rep
As land-based data centers struggle with high energy consumption, land constraints, and latency issues, floating data centers (FDCs) are emerging as a game-changer in the shipbuilding and offshore industry. Samsung Heavy Industries, along with other domestic shipbuilders like HD Hyundai, are partnering with major power and engineering companies to enter the FDC market. This transition is transforming traditional shipyards into core meccas of data infrastructure.
Land-based data centers face limitations due to their heavy reliance on cooling power and high operational costs, which are exacerbated by land price hikes and resident complaints near densely populated areas. Additionally, data transmission delays and power grid connection costs hinder expansion in remote areas. FDCs address these challenges by floating structures on the sea and utilizing deep-sea water for direct server cooling, significantly reducing energy consumption and operational costs.
Domestic shipbuilders are eagerly pursuing FDCs, with Samsung Heavy Industries leading the way. They have obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) and basic approval for a MW-class FDC from global classification societies, and are currently close to commercialization. HD Hyundai has established a dedicated organization in collaboration with Schneider Electric to develop an integrated power and cooling infrastructure for FDCs.
Hanwha Ocean has entered the market, and overseas, Big Tech companies and specialized shipowners are actively testing underwater and floating FDC concepts.
The global market for FDCs is anticipated to experience exponential growth, with an estimated $3 trillion investment in AI data center infrastructure by 2030. FDCs are projected to develop into self-sufficient data islands, operating independently from external power grids by connecting to offshore wind power generation complexes or floating Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
The industry will likely mass-produce 50MW to 500MW-class FDC modules using standardized production systems, allowing for rapid response to the massive data center construction demands of hyperscalers. As a result, the FDC market has the potential to significantly transform the global shipbuilding industry, complementing the existing vessel-centric revenue structure and expanding the business portfolio into energy and digital infrastructure platforms.
Written by urgent.news from BusinessKorea's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
