HAIKOU /China/, April 4. /TASS/. South China's Hainan Province has launched the world's first underwater commercial ocean data collection and storage center. This was reported by the Hainan Daily newspaper.

According to the newspaper, the facility is located in the waters of Lingshui Li Autonomous County (the southern coast of the island). It is operated by a system that consists of a shore base, an underwater repeater station, a data terminal and a sea cable.

This ocean data center is equipped with safe and energy-efficient technologies. Its equipment is naturally cooled by sea currents.

Deep-sea research is one of the strategic areas in the development of Hainan's free trade port. One of the key centers in the PRC for research in this field is considered to be the city of Sanya, which is located west of Lingshui Li Autonomous County.