Hanwha Ocean, a South Korean heavy industries company, and ABB, a Swiss-Swedish multinational technology corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop power and control technologies for floating data centers, as demand for AI computing increases pressure on land based infrastructure. The partnership will focus on power system design, reliability and operational controls for offshore data centers, which house servers and supporting power and cooling equipment on floating structures.
According to a press release, Hanwha Ocean will lead the basic design and configuration of the floating data center’s power systems, including standards for power generation equipment using liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines. Under the agreement, which runs through May 2027, ABB will assess electrical system reliability and power quality based on the shipbuilder’s designs and review ways to improve operational efficiency .
Heo Yoon, Executive Vice President and Head, Hanwha Ocean Product Strategy and Technology Institute, told Seoul Economic Daily, “As the AI industry grows, technologies that support stable power supply and efficient operation of data centers are becoming more important, through this partnership with ABB, we will raise the technical maturity of floating data center solutions suited to marine environments and broaden the foundation for growth in our future offshore business.”
Hanwha Ocean, which unveiled its in-house floating data center concept at Gastech 2026 in September, will contribute its offshore engineering and construction expertise. ABB will bring its experience in electrification, automation and data center power systems.
The companies will also examine how LNG engines and electrical systems can respond to fluctuations in power demand as AI workloads change. Managing these variations will be critical to maintaining a stable electricity supply and reliable operations in offshore environments.
The agreement reflects growing interest in offshore infrastructure as a way to address the energy and land requirements of expanding digital services as the concept offers a potential alternative to land-based facilities facing constraints in securing suitable sites and electricity.