Microsoft has decided to discontinue its ambitious Project Natick, which explored the feasibility of using the ocean floor for housing data centers. Initially launched in 2018, this initiative involved submerging large tube-shaped structures measuring 14.3 meters in length and 12.7 meters in width deep into the North Sea. These underwater data centers were powered by renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, making them environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional land-based facilities.
The decision to end Project Natick comes despite the success observed during its operational phase. Microsoft reported that the underwater conditions proved highly favorable for housing computer servers, with the absence of human presence allowing for the use of nitrogen instead of oxygen, thereby reducing maintenance needs. This innovation contributed to a significant decrease in the failure rate of the submerged data centers compared to their land-based counterparts with similar configurations.
“Noelle Walsh, the head of Microsoft’s Cloud Operations and Innovation division, informed DatacenterDynamics of the company’s decision, stating, ‘I’m not building subsea data centers anywhere in the world.’ She acknowledged the success of Project Natick, highlighting the valuable insights gained about underwater operations, vibration impacts on servers, and environmental sustainability. These learnings, she emphasized, will be leveraged in future innovations and research efforts within Microsoft’s cloud operations.”
The closure of Project Natick underscores Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to exploring and advancing sustainable solutions for data center operations. While discontinuing underwater data centers, Microsoft plans to continue using the project as a research platform to explore new concepts aimed at enhancing the reliability and environmental sustainability of data centers worldwide. This strategic shift aligns with broader industry efforts to mitigate the environmental impact of data centers, which are increasingly crucial as global energy demands from cloud computing and AI technologies continue to rise.
