MOL and Hitachi to Study Converting Old Ships to Floating Data Centers
Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Hitachi plan to explore the use of old ships as a means of meeting the strong demand and technical concerns of developing data centers. The companies have signed an agreement that will see them pursue a feasibility study of their concept of floating data centers, as well as verify the demand and technical specifications required for the concept.
The companies point to the strong demand for data centers, in part due to the rapid proliferation of generative AI. However, developing these centers comes with key technical challenges, ranging from their power requirements to the need for robust cooling systems due to the heat generation from high-performance AI servers. Companies have been exploring the use of small nuclear reactors for data center power, while water cooling is increasingly being viewed as an option to dissipate the heat. MOL and Hitachi also point out the space requirements for the centers and local limitations and opposition in some areas.
The repurposing of older ships, they believe, presents a strong option and creates a strong financial case with significant cost savings versus building a land-based center. MOL notes that a ship can be converted in one year, versus the three or more years it could take to build one of the centers. The company highlights that a typical car carrier has 54,000 square meters of space that rivals one of Japan’s largest onshore data centers in terms of floor area. The new rendering, however, shows a repurposed bulk carrier.
They believe ships would have lower construction costs and could also reuse existing onboard systems, meaning they would require a reduced initial investment requirement. As floating structures, they could utilize seawater or river water for cooling and could be relocated based on future demand.
MOL will leverage its expertise in vessel conversion and maintenance as well as its experience in coordinating with port authorities. It will be responsible for defining the marine aspects of such a conversion, while Hitachi will leverage its expertise with existing data centers. It will be responsible for the technical studies exploring elements such as installation, IT infrastructure requirements, security, and customer acquisition.
The goal is to possibly launch their first conversion to commence operations in 2027 or later. They said they will focus on Japan, where Hitachi has operational experience, as well as Malaysia and the United States for the initial projects.
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It is not the first time MOL has reported that it would look at repurposing its older car carriers into floating data centers. In July 2025, MOL announced it was working with Kinetics, an initiative from Karpowership, to explore floating data centers. They said it would focus on a 9,700 gross ton car carrier and planned to develop the concepts by 2026 so that a conversion could begin. It was targeting its first operations in 2027.