en.Wedoany.com Reported - Energy company Vattenfall, in collaboration with Project Enki and technology partner ABB, has launched an initiative to explore the construction of offshore data centers directly connected to offshore wind farms. The concept aims to fully power data center infrastructure using renewable energy generated at sea, meeting the growing demand for compute-intensive workloads such as artificial intelligence while alleviating pressure on onshore power grids.

This collaboration focuses on integrating existing technologies in new ways. Project Enki will be responsible for developing and operating the offshore data centers, while Vattenfall will provide a long-term renewable electricity supply generated by its offshore wind assets. Nardi Polak, Head of Supplier Innovation at Vattenfall, stated that through this initiative, the parties are exploring how to combine existing technologies in novel ways. Offshore data centers create an opportunity to use renewable electricity directly at the point of generation, thereby utilizing wind farm capacity more efficiently. Paul Kunneman, Managing Director of Project Enki, noted that the project combines the sustainability advantages of offshore wind with the need to accelerate Europe's AI infrastructure development, utilizing wind energy that would otherwise not be generated or fully utilized, without compromising household power supply.

Unlike traditional cloud data centers, the proposed facility will be specifically designed for long-duration, compute-intensive processing tasks. AI workloads can often be broken down into smaller computing tasks, allowing operators to scale activities up or down based on available wind power generation. During periods of low wind output, certain workloads can be delayed or reduced, establishing a more flexible relationship between power generation and computing demand.

The initiative also helps address challenges associated with offshore renewable energy production. Electricity that would otherwise be curtailed due to grid congestion or unfavorable market conditions can be consumed locally by the offshore data center through pre-arranged commercial agreements. For Vattenfall, this project aligns with its broader efforts to create a more integrated and efficient energy system by bringing energy demand closer to renewable energy sources. By matching renewable energy supply with flexible demand, the two companies believe offshore data centers can reduce energy waste and decrease reliance on constrained grid infrastructure. The data center will consume only a small fraction of the offshore wind farm's total output, thus avoiding direct connection to the public grid while still retaining sufficient generation capacity for grid supply, including during periods of poor wind conditions.

Cooling is another key component of the concept. The offshore facility will use seawater as a cooling medium, eliminating the need for potable water consumption. Since seawater provides an almost unlimited cooling resource and maintains a relatively stable low temperature, cooling efficiency can be improved while reducing energy consumption and associated carbon emissions.

The initiative is currently in the early strategic development phase, with a focus on identifying the first deployment site. A joint project team comprising Vattenfall, Project Enki, and ABB is evaluating the technical, economic, and social aspects of the concept, including infrastructure requirements, operational feasibility, and potential benefits for Europe's evolving AI and renewable energy ecosystems.

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