Kinetics, the energy transition initiative of Türkiye's floating power provider Karpowership, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Japanese Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. (MOL) to jointly develop the world’s first integrated next-generation floating data center platform, the companies said on Monday.
According to the statement, the project aims to address the rapidly growing global demand for digital infrastructure.
"This 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," MOL said in a press release.
Under the memorandum, 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 powered by uninterrupted and dedicated energy from various flexible sources, including powerships developed by Karpowership. Depending on the project location and customer needs, onshore grids, land-based solar power plants, offshore wind energy or other energy generation solutions can also be integrated.
Karpowership, a pioneer in integrated floating power solutions, with over 10,000 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity in 19 countries and more than 20 years of operational experience, will contribute to the project.
MOL, headquartered in Tokyo, is one of the leading shipping companies in the world.
Following feasibility studies and ongoing technical developments, the first floating data center project is targeted to be commissioned in 2027. The floating platform will offer a scalable, portable and rapidly deployable solution to overcome challenges faced by traditional land-based data centers, such as energy shortages, land limitations and delays in permitting processes.
In the statement, Kinetics CEO Mehmet Katmer emphasized that this collaboration is a significant step toward providing solutions to the global energy sector
"This 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," Katmer said. "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."
Tomoaki Ichida, managing executive Officer of MOL, said: "This MOU represents an important step forward in leveraging the MOL Group's assets and extensive expertise in ship operations to rapidly build digital infrastructure while minimizing environmental impact. Moving forward, we will continue to expand a diverse range of social infrastructure businesses centered on the shipping industry. Through the advancement of our technologies and services, we are committed to proactively responding to society's evolving needs, including the imperative of environmental conservation."
