According to a report by the South China Morning Post on November 14, a study covering 168 patents related to underwater data centers from 2006 to 2026 shows that China holds approximately 80% of global patents in this field, indicating its transformation from an early follower into a leading force.
The research was conducted by researchers from the Patent Examination Cooperation Center in Tianjin and the National Oceanic Information Center. The authors note that China has developed advantages in engineering techniques such as modular construction and on-site maintenance, while overseas research places greater emphasis on environmental design and cross-regional networking. According to the data, South Korea ranks second with 17 patents, the United States has eight, and European countries collectively hold six.
Reporting notes that land-based data centers consume up to about 3% of global electricity, with roughly one-third used for air conditioning cooling. Submerged facilities can leverage seawater for thermal dissipation, reducing energy consumption for cooling and land use. The figure of 80% refers specifically to the patent share within the scope of this study, reflecting China’s accelerated accumulation of engineering solutions—not an indication of monopoly over global commercial computing capacity.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881796465235979/
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