Nautilus Data Technologies Stockton Barge (Eli M)

The story

Moored at the Port of Stockton on the San Joaquin River in California, the Eli M barge houses the world's first commercial floating data centre. Built by Nautilus Data Technologies and opened in 2021, the 7 MW facility sits on the water, drawing river water into closed heat exchangers before returning it to the river slightly warmer with no water loss and zero chemical treatment. By utilizing waterborne cooling without mechanical compressors or evaporative cooling towers, Nautilus demonstrated high-density AI and HPC hosting using 80% less cooling power than conventional sites.

Notable

• Built upon a moored deck barge (the Eli M) on the San Joaquin River in the Port of Stockton, California.
• Pioneered a patented closed-loop cooling system that exchanges server heat with river water without consuming water or chemicals.
• Eliminates cooling chillers and cooling towers, achieving an operating PUE of approximately 1.15.
• Consumes zero treated drinking water, unlike standard inland data centres that evaporate millions of gallons daily.

Expansions

• 2015: prototype floating data vessel tested in San Francisco Bay
• 2021: Eli M commercial barge commissions 7 MW at Port of Stockton
• 2023: expands high-density rack support for liquid-cooled AI clusters