South Korean shipbuilding company Hanwha Ocean has inked a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ABB to develop advanced power and control systems for floating data centers.

According to the companies, the MoU aims to improve the technical capabilities of floating data centers by combining Hanwha’s experience in offshore design and construction with ABB’s expertise in data center power solutions.

Earlier this year, Hanwha showcased a self-developed 60MW-class floating data center. The concept envisions developing data center capacity on a floating structure that can generate power offshore and use seawater for cooling.

Under the terms of the MoU with ABB, the companies said they will work together through May next year on power system design reviews and the development of operating and control technologies, targeting stable power supply and efficient operation of floating data centers.

Hanwha will lead the basic design and power system configuration of the floating data center and set design standards for power generation equipment, which are expected to be based on liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines. ABB, in turn, will analyze the reliability and power quality of the electrical system based on the design provided and subsequently conduct a range of technical reviews in order to improve the operating efficiency of the power systems.

"As the AI industry grows, technologies that support stable power supply and efficient operation of data centers are becoming more important," said Heo Yoon, executive vice president and head of Hanwha Ocean's Product Strategy and Technology Institute. "Through this partnership with ABB, we will raise the technical maturity of floating data center solutions suited to marine environments and broaden the foundation for growth in our future offshore business."

There has been a rising tide of offshore and floating data center concepts in recent years. Keppel has started work on a 25MW floating facility in Singapore, due to come online in 2028, while US-based Panthalassa wants to harness the power of waves for floating data centers at sea.

Floating wind firm Aikido has also announced its entrance into the data center space with the launch of a floating offshore wind platform integrated with a modular AI-focused data center.

Other companies working on floating projects include Seatrium, Mocean, and Atomarine. DCD took an in-depth look at the emerging compute-at-sea sector in issue 52 of the magazine.