Guizhou Shifts Big Data Hub from Cloud Storage to AI Computing

Guizhou Province is accelerating its transition from basic data storage into advanced artificial intelligence computing power, according to People's Daily. Total computing capacity in the province has surpassed 176 EFLOPS, with intelligent computing now accounting for more than 90 percent of local capacity. The southwestern hub currently hosts 50 key data centers either operational or under construction, generating over 80 billion yuan in annual computing operations revenue as local operators deploy liquid cooling and align workload schedules with off-peak electricity.

As a primary node in China's "East Data, West Computing" project, Guizhou's shift reflects Beijing's drive to upgrade basic cloud storage facilities into commercialized AI infrastructure that can absorb energy-intensive training workloads from coastal provinces.

Guizhou Province, long positioned as China's primary big data storage hub, is restructuring its digital infrastructure to prioritize intelligent computing for artificial intelligence workloads, People's Daily reported. The province now hosts 50 major data centers either in operation or under construction, with total computing power surpassing 176 EFLOPS (exaflops). Intelligent computing capacity currently accounts for more than 90 percent of the provincial total, making Guizhou one of China's largest hubs for domestic AI-focused compute. Annual revenue from computing operations services has exceeded 80 billion yuan ($11.2 billion), with a marketization rate surpassing 90 percent, according to the state-run outlet. Guizhou began developing data center clusters in 2013, drawing on its stable geology, abundant power, and cool climate. Gui'an New Area subsequently attracted hyperscale facilities from China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom, as well as tech giants including Huawei, Tencent, and Apple. However, local planners are now steering the cluster away from passive archiving toward active computation. In Gui'an, China Telecom's Guizhou Information Park recently completed the structural capping of two new intelligent computing facilities designed to serve artificial intelligence and low-altitude economy sectors. Gu Wei, deputy general manager of the park's computing center, stated that the site has grown from an initial two buildings to 15 operational facilities housing 135,000 servers—more than a 700-fold increase since operations began. To address mounting power requirements, operators are integrating liquid cooling and algorithmic power scheduling. At the Southern Energy Big Data Center, a second batch of 300 high-density intelligent computing cabinets is scheduled to go into service by the end of the year, according to Xiao Fusheng, an executive at China Southern Power Grid's Guizhou digital intelligence branch. Xiao noted that operators have formed an industrial alliance in Gui'an to schedule computing tasks during off-peak electricity windows, seeking to balance grid stability with the intense thermal and energy loads of modern AI clusters.