Page 40: of Marine News Magazine (January 2026)

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Tech Feature

Floating Data Centers

Floating Data Centers:

A New Maritime Frontier for a Data-Hungry World

All images courtesy EBDG

By Greg Trauthwein s global demand for data storage and processing ac- remaining half spread across a diverse mix of projects. celerates — driven by cloud computing, streaming “It’s that other 50% where we get to work on some really media, and the explosive growth of arti? cial intel- wild and interesting things,” Complita said. “Floating data ligence — the physical footprint of data centers has centers de? nitely fall into that category.”

A become a growing challenge. Land-based facilities face mount- ing constraints: limited space, water scarcity, grid congestion, The Case for Floating Data Centers long permitting timelines and rising community opposition. At the core of the ? oating data center concept is one pri-

Against that backdrop, a once-niche concept is moving rap- mary advantage: access to cooling water. Traditional land- idly into the mainstream conversation: ? oating data centers. based data centers consume enormous volumes of fresh-

For maritime designers, shipyards, and offshore infra- water for cooling, often drawn from rivers, aquifers, or structure specialists, ? oating data centers represent a con- municipal systems, and substantially lost to evaporation. vergence of digital demand and marine engineering, one In contrast, ? oating data centers use surrounding water that could evolve into a signi? cant new market segment bodies as a closed-loop cooling medium.

over the coming decade. “You’ve got an essentially unlimited source of cooling

Few ? rms have deeper ? rsthand experience in this water that you’re not consuming,” Complita explained. emerging space than Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG). “That’s a huge advantage in a world where freshwater is

The Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineer- becoming increasingly precious.” ing ? rm helped design and support construction of what Environmental concerns around thermal discharge are is widely regarded as the world’s ? rst operational ? oating often raised, but real-world data from the Stockton instal- data center, an installation in Stockton, California that has lation suggests those fears may be overstated. Studies con- been operating successfully for several years. ducted prior to deployment—and validated during opera- “That ? rst project gave us real insight into what works, tion—found that temperature changes in the surrounding what doesn’t, and where the market could go,” said Mike water were negligible within just a short distance of the hull.

Complita, Principal in Charge and Vice President of Stra- Beyond cooling, ? oating platforms offer additional bene? ts: tegic Expansion at EBDG. “At the time, it was a bit ahead - Rapid deployment: Floating data centers can be designed, of the market. Now, with AI and data growth, the interest built, and deployed in roughly two to three years, compared has come back in a big way.” with ? ve to eight years for large land-based facilities.

- Mobility and ? exibility: Built on barge platforms, they

By the Numbers: Elliott Bay Design Group can be relocated, expanded, or redeployed as demand shifts.

Today, EBDG offers the industry its expertise from an - Reduced land use: No need to clear forests, rezone land, internal crew of 70+, a number that has grown steadily in or build massive new concrete structures.

recent years alongside a strong market for specialized marine - Repurposing existing assets: The Stockton project reused a design services. Historically, about half of the ? rm’s work 1970s-era barge hull, minimizing new environmental impact.

has been focused on passenger and vehicle ferries, with the “That reuse aspect was intentional,” Complita said. “In- 40 | MN January 2026