Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) is advancing its plans for floating datacenters by collaborating with Hitachi to debut operations as early as 2027. This strategic move aims to use a retrofitted vessel, outfitted for data hosting, leveraging seawater or river water for cooling. The partnership with Hitachi, along with subsidiary Hitachi Systems, focuses on designing and operating a repurposed ‘Floating Data Center’ from a secondhand vessel. Feasibility studies will steer the project’s direction to potentially expand this innovative approach. Hitachi’s experience in managing standard and modular data centers will guide the IT architecture and customer engagement, while MOL will manage maritime logistics, modifications, and stakeholder discussions. MOL’s unique approach capitalizes on Japan’s limited land availability, avoiding the need for extensive terrestrial data campuses concentrated around urban hubs like Tokyo and Osaka. A noteworthy proposition is a potential conversion of a 120-meter, 9,731-ton vessel, initially a car carrier, to host large-scale data operations, exploiting existing shipping infrastructure to minimize startup costs.