Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kinetics, the energy transition initiative of global floating power leader Karpowership, to jointly develop a next-generation floating data center platform.
Under the MoU, the two companies will collaborate on the design, construction and deployment of a state-of-the-art data center hosted on a retrofitted vessel.
The facility will be supplied with uninterrupted, dedicated power from a range of flexible sources, including Powerships developed by Karpowership, as well as options to integrate land-based grids, onshore solar farms, offshore wind, or other power generation solutions depending on project location and client requirements.
The partnership combines Kinetics' expertise in mobile energy infrastructure with MOL's extensive maritime and offshore logistics capabilities to address the surging global demand for digital infrastructure.
The floating platform will offer a scalable, mobile, and rapidly deployable alternative to traditional land-based data centers, overcoming the challenges of power constraints, land scarcity, and permitting delays.
Following successful feasibility studies and ongoing technical developments, the first floating data center project is targeted for deployment in 2027.
"The project represents a significant step toward our vision at Kinetics: delivering innovative, efficient, and sustainable infrastructure solutions that meet the energy needs of today and tomorrow.
“By pairing mobile power generation with floating data infrastructure, we are addressing critical market bottlenecks while enabling faster, cleaner and more flexible digital capacity expansion,” said Mehmet Katmer, Chief Executive Officer of Kinetics.