Samsung Heavy Industries (010140.KS) has for the first time disclosed a specific timeline to complete the commercialization of its floating data center (FDC) by the second quarter of 2028. The company plans to wrap up orders before then to align with the service launch.
According to the shipbuilding and securities industries Thursday, Samsung Heavy Industries recently told the global shipping publication TradeWinds that it is "pursuing multiple feasible projects in line with the goal of commercializing the FDC by the second quarter of 2028." The company did not disclose its clients or the regions involved.
An FDC is a data center installed on a ship-shaped structure floated on the sea or a river. It is emerging as an alternative to overcome the limitations of onshore facilities, such as constraints on power supply and cooling and a shortage of sites.
The timeline announcement is a follow-up to Samsung Heavy Industries' recent disclosure in Greece of an expanded global partnership for offshore data center development. Earlier, Samsung Heavy Industries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Greek shipping company Capital and the U.K.'s Lloyd's Register (LR) to pioneer the offshore data center market. Under the agreement, Samsung Heavy Industries oversees technology development and construction, Capital handles project sourcing and investment, and LR supports the establishment of legal regulations and standards related to FDCs.
Samsung Heavy Industries is known to be designing a dedicated newbuild barge, rather than converting an existing ship or offshore platform. The barge will be equipped with a data hall to house servers, electrical and mechanical facilities, onboard power generation facilities, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tanks. The FDC that Samsung Heavy Industries plans to complete within two years is a "nearshore" model, positioned close to the coast and drawing on onshore power, rather than an "offshore" type installed far out at sea with its own power generation.
Yoo Jae-sun, a researcher at Hana Securities, said, "Considering that onshore data center construction costs form a level of 8 billion to 10 billion won per megawatt (MW), and that this could lead to consecutive orders, there is a possibility that the price per vessel and construction profitability could exceed those of existing merchant ships."
According to global credit rating agency Moody's, up to $3 trillion is estimated to be invested in AI data center infrastructure, including FDCs, by 2030.
