Microsoft exploring options for underwater data center

Microsoft is working on a research project to build an underwater data center. As part of ‘Project Natick’, Microsoft tested a prototype underwater for three months on the west coast of the US in 2015.

On the project’s website, Microsoft states that the idea was introduced within the company in 2013 with a white paper. The goal of ‘Project Natick’ is to provide data centers that are fully recyclable and can provide customers near water with low latency services. According to Microsoft, half of the world’s population lives within 200 kilometers of an ocean, so it is a good idea to place data centers off the coast.

Ultimately, it should be possible to deliver such a data center within 90 days, so that it is possible to respond quickly to changing demand, for example due to natural disasters or special events. According to Microsoft, the lifespan of a Natick data center should be around 20 years, with the hardware replaced every five years.

In addition, submerging it brings some benefits, including cooling capabilities and access to renewable energy sources. The impact on nature would be minimal and fish and other animals would quickly get used to the presence of the capsule. Also, heat would only be felt a few centimeters from the outer wall, an employee of the research team told the New York Times.

The project is currently still in the research phase and Microsoft indicates that it is still evaluating whether this concept will actually be put into use. So far, the company has conducted tests off the west coast of the US with a prototype, which was located about nine meters below the water’s surface. The test capsule is named ‘Leona Philpot’, after the eponymous character from the Halo games. The New York Times reports that the tests were successful and that some Azure services were eventually hosted. It would also be the intention to build a next test capsule, which is three times the size of the current one.

The Natick team with the test capsule