"No Concerns Over 'Land Occupation'... Ship-Based Data Centers on the Rise"

Floating data centers, which involve equipping ships with power generation and cooling facilities, are emerging as a potential solution to address the challenges of power and land shortages in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), according to recent analysis.

On July 13, independent research firm Growth Research released an industry report outlining these findings. Floating data centers are facilities that install servers, as well as power generation and cooling equipment, on ships, barges, or offshore platforms, and operate them near coastal areas and ports. In addition to newly built vessels, it is also possible to retrofit existing ships for this purpose.

Samsung Heavy Industries is advancing the commercialization of floating data centers, which have remained at the proof-of-concept stage, by preparing industrial services scheduled for the second quarter of 2028. The standard model unveiled by Samsung Heavy Industries features a structure that combines 80MW-class solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) with an AI server load of 50MW.

Floating data centers compensate for the limitations of land-based data centers. It typically takes 18 to 24 months just to construct a data center, and when factoring in the power supply connection and permits, the overall project timeline can exceed three years. Securing a site, which is a core aspect of the business, is often delayed due to opposition from local residents. Floating data centers do not require land acquisition, thereby reducing the project period to around two years.

Hyonghee Han, a researcher at Growth Research, stated, "The commercialization timeline and the acquisition of safety certifications remain key variables, and whether the first commercial project is secured will be a critical inflection point in assessing the business potential."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.