Zhongwei, a city in China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, now hosts the country's first AI data center running entirely on a direct green electricity supply. The facility began operations on June 26, 2026, combining wind power with liquid-cooled servers to deliver a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.15-far below the industry average for conventional data centers.
Built to a wind-powered liquid-cooling standard, the data center connects directly to local renewable generation sources, bypassing the traditional grid. It forms part of China's "Eastern Data, Western Computing" initiative, which shifts compute-heavy workloads to western provinces where wind and solar resources are plentiful.
"The combination of high-efficiency liquid cooling and direct renewable power supply enables us to lower electricity consumption while delivering 100 percent green power to the facility," said Wang Fang, deputy general manager of the Computing Operations Company of China Telecom Ningxia Branch.
Zhongwei's computing infrastructure scales up
The city has turned its abundant wind and solar resources into a cornerstone of economic transformation. Zhongwei now houses 10 large-scale data center parks, with approximately 3.31 million standard server racks operating around the clock. Six of China's top 10 computing service providers have already established operations in the city.
Zhongwei has also built direct high-speed network connections with more than 20 major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. These links improve data transmission efficiency and strengthen industrial collaboration, making the city a growing hub for both computing power and green energy.
Supply chain and network effects
Beyond supporting AI workloads, the project is expected to increase demand for servers, AI chips, and liquid-cooling equipment. Industry users told local media that the direct green electricity model offers both environmental and economic advantages for energy-intensive AI computing. The facility's design reduces reliance on fossil fuels while maintaining the high-performance capacity required for next-generation applications.
Why this matters for IT and development professionals
A PUE of 1.15, achieved through liquid cooling and a direct renewable power hookup, sets a practical efficiency benchmark for teams designing or upgrading data centers. The Zhongwei model shows that 100% green electricity can work at scale without sacrificing compute performance, lowering both carbon footprint and long-term operating costs. For IT architects and infrastructure developers, these changes influence hardware selection, cooling system design, and site location strategies. Professionals tracking these shifts can find related courses in the AI for IT & Development section.
Your membership also unlocks:
