Shipbuilders in Singapore, Japan and Korea race into floating AI data centers
Citing a Business Korea report, TechNews says power and land constraints on AI data centers are drawing attention to floating data centers (FDCs), with shipbuilders in Singapore, Japan and South Korea positioning early. Singapore's Keppel has begun building a 25MW floating data center targeted for 2028 operation, while Seatrium has obtained an Approval in Principle for a 30MW-class FDC. Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines is working with Hitachi and others to convert existing vessels into data centers, targeting operation as early as 2027, while Samsung Heavy Industries is developing a 50MW design, Hanwha Ocean a 60MW modular design, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries plans 100MW-class floating power equipment with Schneider Electric's power and cooling technology. The report also notes salt damage, humidity and waves may affect server stability, and that construction cost, reliability and equipment standardization remain key to commercialization.
The report says floating data centers can cut large land requirements and use seawater for cheaper cooling while avoiding onshore opposition, though cost, reliability and standardization still decide commercialization.
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AI 熱潮帶動資料中心如雨後春筍，卻也加劇電力與土地取得難題。「浮動式資料中心」（Floating Data Center，FDC）因此逐漸受到市場重視，並吸引韓國、日本與新加坡造船業者提前卡位，爭奪下一波 AI 基建商機。
韓媒《Business Korea》報導，所謂FDC，是將資料中心設置於海上浮動平台，不僅可減少大面積土地需求，也能善用海水散熱、降低冷卻成本，並避開陸上開發案的居民抗爭問題。不過，鹽害、濕氣與海浪可能影響伺服器穩定性，建置成本、可靠度與設備標準化仍是商業化關鍵。
各國造船業者中，以新加坡腳步最快。Keppel已開工建置25MW浮動式資料中心，目標2028年營運；Seatrium則取得30MW等級FDC原則性驗證（AIP），朝商業化邁出重要一步。
#Keppel#Seatrium#Mitsui O.S.K. Lines#Hitachi#Samsung Heavy Industries#Hanwha Ocean#HD Hyundai Heavy Industries#Schneider Electric