洋上風力タービン上の水中データセンター計画

2 Min ReadSan Francisco-based Aikido Technologies has revealed plans to host data centers inside its offshore wind turbines.Under the proposal, data center infrastructure would be housed in submerged tanks that keep the offshore platforms afloat, with the turbines powering the servers and backup power provided by batteries.The modified platform, dubbed AO60DC, is designed to host 10–12MW of “AI-grade compute” alongside a 15–18MW wind turbine and integrated battery storage, Aikido said in a release."Designed for farms consisting of 30MW to more than 1GW of IT load, the technology offers a pathway to sovereign, gigawatt-scale AI infrastructure built directly at the source of renewable energy," the company said.Aikido is currently developing a 100KW proof-of-concept unit in Norway, with a scheduled launch later this year and a full-scale commercial deployment off the U.K. coast targeted for 2028.With AI compute demands mounting, companies are eyeing increasingly creative locations for data centers; from Elon Musk's proposed space-based infrastructure to Microsoft piloting infrastructure on the ocean floor.Related:Once Trendy Shoe Company Allbirds Pivots to AI InfrastructureThe argument for offshore deployment is practical: locations offer abundant energy, space, and natural cooling, while bypassing the land, water, and grid constraints that hinder conventional data center development. Ocean water also acts as a passive heat sink. Aikido said the platform has an anticipated power usage effectiveness well below industry norms. Visual and noise concerns that typically draw local opposition onshore are also largely eliminated, according to the vendor.The semi-submersible platform is also designed around a "flat-pack" concept, which Aikido says can be assembled as much as ten times faster than traditional offshore structures -- targeting accelerated uptake of AI infrastructure.“Before we go off-world, we should go offshore,” Sam Kanner, CEO of Aikido Technologies, said in the release, referring to Musk's and others' ideas about space-based data centers. “Aikido is well positioned to … build GW-scale AI factories faster, cleaner, cheaper and more efficiently than conventional techniques.”About the AuthorContributing WriterScarlett Evans is a freelance writer with a focus on emerging technologies and the minerals industry. Previously, she served as assistant editor at IoT World Today, where she specialized in robotics and smart city technologies. Scarlett also has a background in the mining and resources sector, with experience at Mine Australia, Mine Technology and Power Technology. She joined Informa in April 2022 before transitioning to freelance work.