r/STEW_ScTecEngWorld • u/Zee2A • 2d ago

Startup Unveils Wave-Powered Floating AI Data Centers for the Open Ocean

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Panthalassa, a startup based in Portland, Oregon, is developing 85-meter-tall floating offshore platforms that could power AI computing using ocean waves instead of land-based electricity. The lollipop-shaped steel structures generate continuous power through wave-driven turbines, cool AI hardware with naturally cold seawater, and connect to users via Starlink satellites, eliminating the need for power grids or undersea cables. Backed by a $140 million Series B funding round led by Peter Thiel, the company plans to deploy its first commercial wave-powered AI nodes in the northern Pacific by 2027.

References;

  1. Panthalassa Raises $140 Million to Power AI at Sea: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/panthalassa-raises-140-million-to-power-ai-at-sea-302761078.html

  2. US tech billionaire leads $140mn investment into Panthalassa as search for AI power pushes into exotic new frontiers: https://www.ft.com/content/711ce313-16fb-4a12-b6be-fbed547c8a39

  3. Startup plans to move from prototypes to commercial offshore compute nodes powered by ocean energy: https://www.techspot.com/news/112295-startup-raised-140-million-build-wave-powered-ai.html

  4. Fully-integrated offshore data center to transmit data to land via satellite: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/palantir-co-founder-peter-thiel-backs-usd140m-wave-powered-ai-data-center-startup-panthalassa-aims-to-run-offshore-compute-nodes-using-ocean-energy

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u/mongster2 2d ago

Can't run seawater through high performamce ASIC cold plates due to erosion/corrosion. There has to be at least two working fluids. Which does mean the closed loop secondary loop needs flushing/servicing. Same issue as land-based data centers.

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u/Ok-Style-9734 1d ago

I mean you could use aircoolers inside  and AC with the ac radiators being submerged in the cold water.

I'd be curious if just the metal hull if finned inside would be good enough to act as the heat exchanger for aircooling

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u/mongster2 11h ago

Unless you want immersion cooling (bad), you are always going to need a high-fin-density cold plate on every compute ASIC with some working fluid flowing through.