ABS Grants Approval in Principle to Hanwha Ocean for 60 MW Floating Data Center

ABS has granted approval in principle (AIP) to Hanwha Ocean for the concept design of a 60 MW floating data center, adding to ongoing efforts to develop offshore alternatives to conventional land-based data center infrastructure.

The approval, announced on September 28, 2026, covers Hanwha Ocean’s concept for a floating data center designed to address constraints associated with land availability, power supply and cooling requirements faced by conventional data center facilities.

ABS approves 60 MW floating data center concept

The project forms part of a developing market for offshore data centers, where floating platforms are being evaluated as potential locations for large-scale digital infrastructure.

Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, said: “Interest in floating data centers is growing, and the industry is looking for practical ways to take new infrastructure from concept to reality. Hanwha Ocean has built some of the most technically demanding offshore structures in the world, and that experience matters when applying offshore engineering to this emerging space. ABS is proud to support this work as the market continues to develop.”

Young-chang Shon, Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Product & Technology Strategy at Hanwha Ocean, said: “We appreciate ABS for recognizing Hanwha Ocean’s technological capabilities. By combining our accumulated expertise in shipbuilding and offshore engineering with Hanwha Group’s capabilities in energy and data, we will deliver innovative solutions that address the limitations of land-based data centers and lead the global floating data center market.”

Floating data center development expands

ABS has been developing classification and technical frameworks for the emerging floating data center sector. According to ABS, it has issued approvals over the past year for conceptual floating data center projects with capacities ranging from 50 MW to 200 MW.

In 2025, ABS also published a study examining the potential use of nuclear power for floating data centers, reflecting the intersection of offshore engineering, energy generation and digital infrastructure.

The development of floating data centers is being driven in part by the growing requirements of data-intensive applications and the associated demand for electricity and cooling. Offshore locations are being assessed as an alternative where conventional facilities face constraints related to land availability and infrastructure capacity.

What is a floating data center?

A floating data center is a data processing facility located on an offshore or floating platform rather than on conventional land-based infrastructure. Such facilities can potentially integrate offshore power generation, cooling systems and digital infrastructure within a single platform.

The Hanwha Ocean concept adds a 60 MW design to a developing range of floating data center proposals currently being assessed by the offshore engineering and digital infrastructure sectors.

ABS provides services covering the development and operational life cycle of marine and offshore assets, including concept review, classification and in-service support.