Hong Kong mulls commercial data centers built in underground caves
March 27, 2013
Hong Kong's government is looking to build commercial data centers housed in underground caverns.
The Register (UK) reports that Hong Kong's government is looking to build commercial data centers housed in underground caves. As pointed out by Wired UK, "with more than seven million people squeezed in to around 1,100 sq. km of land space -- and property prices regularly ranking among the highest in the world -- [the city's government] realizes it needs to get inventive if the city wants to attract more big IT business."
A feasibility study commisioned by the Hong Kong government determined that 2/3 of the land space in the region has "high to medium suitability" for cave excavation, with five regions over about 49 acres (20 hectares) pinpointed as "ideal starting points" for data center construction. Concerns over environmental disruption from such projects present something of a sticking point, but are not insurmountable -- "the underground plans do seem to have support in high places," says The Register's reporting.
