A Japanese consortium made up of shipping firm NYK Line, engineering company NTT Facilities, renewable developer Eurus Energy, and MUFG Bank is proposing to place datacenter capacity on barges moored alongside port quays. The group argues this approach could address the shortage of suitable land for compute infrastructure while still relying on existing port facilities and nearby power generation.
The partners have also looked further out to sea, where floating facilities could tap offshore wind and other renewables. However, they acknowledge that offshore deployments face practical challenges around maintenance access, high-capacity telecom connections, and independent power supplies. Keeping the barges at the quay for now lets them test the concept while working toward more distant sites.
A demonstration with the city of Yokohama began testing in March, and the consortium has signed a memorandum of understanding for a renewable-powered project there. They are not alone: Samsung Heavy Industries says it expects its first floating datacenter to be operational by the second quarter of 2028.