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Tuesday, 28 July 2026

44 briefs so farlast update 18:52 UTC

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  • DOE Names Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Idaho as Nuclear Campus Contenders.
  • Keppel Sets Up USD 2.86 Billion Fund to Sell Down 10 Legacy Drilling Rigs.
  • PosHYdon Pilot Produces First Offshore Green Hydrogen on Q13a-A Platform.
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AI & Energy

UK Energy Department Study Finds Digital Services Undercut Physical Alternatives on Electricity Use

Digital delivery matched or used substantially less electricity than the physical alternative in all three consumption comparisons examined in research commissioned by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The department commissioned Europe Economics to examine how the growth of digital services, and the data centres supporting them, affects energy consumption in the United Kingdom, according to the published research.

The study is built on three paired use cases. Europe Economics compared video streaming against Blu-ray discs, eBook reading against printed books, and AI-powered translation against human translation, with the eBook comparison standing in for electronic publishing and the translation comparison standing in for an AI application.

Across that set, the digital option either matched or substantially undercut the electricity use of its physical counterpart, according to the results summarised by the department.

A follow-up study on the impact of the growth of data centres on energy consumption was published on 28 July 2026.

Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)1 sourcePermalink

Interior of a modern data center with rows of server racks illuminated by cool blue indicator lights
Photo: panumas nikhomkhai / Pexels (opens in a new tab)

AI & Energy

Bureau Veritas Approves Seatrium 30 MW Floating Data Centre Concept

Seatrium has secured Approval in Principle from Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore for a 30 MW Floating Data Centre concept, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital.

The design is a jetty-moored barge without propulsion, built around six independent 5 MW Data-In-A-Box modules, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported. Each module packages IT equipment, cooling systems, power distribution and supporting infrastructure into a single modular unit.

Seatrium said it is also working on 100 MW and larger floating data centre concepts aimed at hyperscale deployments, according to the same report. The company framed those larger units as a response to land, power and cooling constraints in coastal markets.

The classification approval follows a memorandum of understanding that Seatrium and Bureau Veritas signed during Singapore Maritime Week earlier this year to advance offshore power and digital technologies, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported.

Source: oedigital.com (opens in a new tab)1 sourcePermalink