NTT docomo business Plans Data Center Heat Test for Shrimp Farming

NTT docomo business and three Japanese partners will test whether heat released by data center cooling equipment can warm whiteleg shrimp ponds, linking server infrastructure with land-based food production.

The companies announced the project Nov. 13. During fiscal 2026, they will measure the amount and temperature of heat available at an NTT docomo business data center in or near Tokyo and evaluate ways to recover it. They plan to raise shrimp using recovered heat during fiscal 2027, with the trial scheduled to continue through March 2028.

The experiment will assess whether recovered heat can keep pond water at a suitable temperature, how much energy used for heating it can save and whether the system affects data center operations. The partners also aim to develop a method for estimating the size of a shrimp farm suited to a data center’s cooling system and available heat.

IMT Engineering will design the aquaculture system and raise the shrimp. NTT docomo business will provide the data center site and evaluate effects on its equipment. 日比谷総合設備 will design and install heat-recovery equipment, while NTT Green & Food will monitor farming conditions and assess costs and business viability.

Data center cooling systems release heat at relatively low temperatures, which can limit how it is used. Land-based shrimp farms use energy to keep water temperature steady. The trial will test whether heat from the data center can help meet that need. An NTT docomo business representative said land-based methods can raise whiteleg shrimp in 16 to 18 weeks.

The project is one of three data center waste-heat experiments selected for a Tokyo Metropolitan Government program. Startups in the selected projects may receive up to ¥20 million each, including tax, for experimental expenses in fiscal 2026.

An NTT docomo business representative said the company may consider shipping the shrimp after the experiment if they are suitable for shipment. The representative said the recipient and timing have not been decided. The trial is scheduled to run through March 2028.