In an exclusive interview with Africa Hyperscalers, Maxie Reynolds, CEO of Subsea Cloud, sheds light on the cost advantages and innovative features of underwater data centers compared to traditional physical data centers.
According to Reynolds, the cost of constructing underwater data centers stands at $1 million for 1 megawatt, significantly lower than the $7 million required for physical data centers of the same capacity. The cost-effectiveness of Subsea Cloud’s data center builds stems from a reduced bill of materials, eliminating land costs, and incorporating labor expenses into the overall cost. Additionally, the streamlined underwater construction process avoids the complexities associated with land-based projects, where different landowners and varied conditions can pose challenges. The underwater deployment process proves to be more time-efficient, with no drilling and better automated cable laying procedures.
By placing data centers subsea, Subsea Cloud asserts, they reduce latency by up to 98% and reduce power consumption and carbon emissions by 40%.
Reynolds further highlighted the space optimization achieved by Subsea Cloud, fitting 16 racks into a pod, resembling a standard 20-foot shipping container.
She also stresses that Subsea Cloud is a market leader in data center rack density, as its first-generation unit boasts a rack density of 125 kilowatts per rack.
Discussing Subsea Cloud’s operational footprint, Reynolds mentioned the Research and Development facility located in the Nordics. Currently, the company is in the process of building a large pilot for 16 companies within a single pod, slated for deployment next year. Reynolds emphasized the optimization achieved in cost and material sourcing, with economies of scale becoming more pronounced as they scale up operations.
Maxie Reynolds, in a broader discussion, delved into various aspects of underwater data centers, including their application in Artificial Intelligence, drawing from her experiences as a hacker and red teamer. The conversation explored a range of topics from data centers to business intricacies and beyond.
Subsea Cloud continues to push the boundaries of innovation in the data center industry, offering cost-effective solutions and contributing to the evolution of data infrastructure. Please watch the full interview here.
