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China Unicom Zhongwei Cloud Data Center

Zhongwei, Ningxia, China · Zhongwei market · location approximate to district level

Also listed as 中国联通中卫云数据中心.

China Unicom Zhongwei Cloud Data Center is a data center project in Zhongwei, China, operated by China Unicom Ningxia (中国联合网络通信有限公司宁夏回族自治区分公司). It is operational and expanding. It is planned for 310 MW of IT load.

Latest change on record: entered the record as expanding on 13 May 2026. Record last checked against its sources on 19 October 2026.

Open on the mapSuggest a correction
Stage
Expanding
Planned IT load
310 MW
Running now
Not disclosed
Operators rarely publish this
Operator
China Unicom Ningxia (中国联合网络通信有限公司宁夏回族自治区分公司)
Telco
AI workloads
Confirmed
Evidence grade
Verified
Will it get built?Built7 of 7 gates passed
✓ Land secured✓ Power arranged✓ Approvals granted✓ Money committed✓ Tenant or own use✓ Builder appointed✓ Construction started

This project is built or running, so every gate counts as passed.

Build odds is ArusGrid's reading of the public record, not a forecast, a rating or advice. It counts the gates this project has passed in public sources. Private progress does not show, a passed gate can be undone, and projects that pass every gate still stop. The method has not yet been tested against outcomes. How it works.

China, 2026-10-12. China coverage is a pilot of one cluster, Zhongwei in Ningxia, entered on 12 October 2026 from Chinese-language primary and state press sources. Other Chinese hubs are not yet covered, so no China total here describes the country. Many Chinese projects publish rack counts and no megawatts. ArusGrid records the rack count and leaves capacity blank rather than convert it.

Where it sits

Zhongwei holds 18 active projects with 3,558 MW of planned IT load between them, and China Unicom Zhongwei Cloud Data Center ranks 4th by planned capacity. Of those, 5 are operational, 5 are operational and expanding, 3 are under construction, 3 are at the land and permitting stage and 2 are announced only. No third party publishes a colocation vacancy rate for Zhongwei, and ArusGrid does not estimate one.

China Unicom has 9 others in China tracked by ArusGrid, including China Unicom (Huailai) Big Data Innovation Industrial Park (中国联通（怀来）大数据创新产业园), China Unicom Southwest Data Center (Chongqing Shuitu) and China Unicom Western (Chongqing) Science City Digital Innovation Industry Base. Named users of the compute are Tencent (confirmed) and Kingsoft Cloud, Lenovo and Ministry of Natural Resources (自然资源部) (reported, unconfirmed).

The build is phased. Phase 1 (6 buildings) is operational with a 2024 target; Phase 2 is under construction; Full build-out (10 buildings) at 310 MW is announced. The stage was recorded as operational and expanding on 13 May 2026. The money on record is CN¥7.1bn as of May 2026, the announced investment. Power comes from China Unicom Ningxia (substation owner) through a dedicated substation at 110 kV. Cooling uses air cooling, with a design PUE of 1.1.

The US export control position for advanced AI chips in China, as of 7 October 2026, is recorded as “Licence required, presumption of denial, case-by-case review for H200-class chips since 15 January 2026”. ArusGrid holds 14 public sources for this project, the latest dated 21 September 2026, and last checked the record on 19 October 2026.

How well evidenced is it

Running capacity. The site is operational or expanding. The rules are fixed and published on the Methodology page.

Named funderNo
Disclosed client (confirmed)Yes
Committed or approved capitalYes
Dated, sized phaseNo
Three or more sourcesYes
Dated source in the last 24 monthsYes

AI workloads

StatusConfirmed

First AI computing cluster for Tencent delivered (人民邮电报, 8 Apr 2025).

Access to AI chips

GradeLicence required for a party

A party to this project (its operator, that operator's group, a funder, or a confirmed client) is headquartered in China or Macau or has an ultimate parent there. US rules require a licence for advanced AI chips destined to such entities wherever they are located. This describes the rule and says nothing about whether a licence was sought, granted or refused. Criteria are published on the Methodology page.

US licence required for this destination as enforcedYes
A party headquartered in China or Macau on the projectYes
Country-level export frameworkNo
A party named in a government authorisationNo
US approved operator or confirmed client on the projectNo
Named chip-vendor partnershipNo

Licence required, presumption of denial, case-by-case review for H200-class chips since 15 January 2026 · Licence required, presumption of denial, case-by-case review for H200-class chips since 15 January 2026 (2026-10-07) source

Phases

Phase 1 (6 buildings) · OperationalSize not published, target 2024
Phase 2 · Under constructionSize not published
Full build-out (10 buildings) · Announced310 MW

Stage history

2026-05-13Expanding · finance.sina.com.cn

Who is behind it

OperatorChina Unicom Ningxia (中国联合网络通信有限公司宁夏回族自治区分公司) · Telco

Who uses the compute

Runs compute here · hyperscalerTencent · confirmed

as of 2025-04-08

人民邮电报 reports the first AI computing cluster built with Tencent delivered at the Zhongwei centre.

Source · 中国联通与腾讯合作首批智算集群交付 (人民邮电报 via Sina, 2025-04-08)

Tenant · hyperscalerKingsoft Cloud · reported, unconfirmed

as of 2024-11-19

C114 lists Kingsoft Cloud among customers.

Source · 智算项目全力提速 联通助力描绘“西部数谷”新蓝图 (C114, 2024-11-19)

Tenant · enterpriseLenovo · reported, unconfirmed

as of 2024-11-19

C114 lists Lenovo among customers.

Source · 智算项目全力提速 联通助力描绘“西部数谷”新蓝图 (C114, 2024-11-19)

Runs compute here · governmentMinistry of Natural Resources (自然资源部) · reported, unconfirmed

Ministry workloads have landed at the Zhongwei cloud data centre · as of 2026-04-23

Article on China Unicom Zhongwei cloud data centre.

Source · 从“大漠绿洲”到“算力之都”：中卫如何成为数字经济赋能者？ (新浪财经, 2026-04-23)

Money at this site

Announced investment, 2026-05CN¥7.1bn

The figure covers the whole campus.

Colocation price per kW of IT load per month

No published price band exists for China, and ArusGrid does not estimate from the regional benchmark alone. What was searched is listed on the Colo prices page.

Project team
ArchitectChina Information Technology Designing & Consulting Institute Co., Ltd. (中讯邮电咨询设计院有限公司) · Apr 2025 Confirmed source ↗
Design unit for the 110kV substation No. 1 new-build project.
ArchitectChina Information Technology Designing & Consulting Institute Co., Ltd. (中讯邮电咨询设计院有限公司) · Apr 2025 Confirmed source ↗
Design unit for the DC7 data centre building (4 storeys, 44,527 sqm) in Park 2.
Grid and substation worksChina Information Technology Designing & Consulting Institute Co., Ltd. (中讯邮电咨询设计院有限公司) · CNY 10.6m (≈US$2m) · Feb 2026 · shortlisted Confirmed source ↗
Recommended candidate for the civil EPC of substation No. 2, 180 days. Award by separate decision (评定分离), result not found.
Grid and substation worksChina Mobile Group Design Institute Co., Ltd. (中国移动通信集团设计院有限公司) · CNY 10.67m (≈US$2m) · Feb 2026 · shortlisted Confirmed source ↗
Recommended candidate for the civil EPC of substation No. 2, 180 days. Award by separate decision (评定分离), result not found.
Land
Allocated byZhongwei Municipal People's Government (中卫市人民政府) · 100,000 sqm · leasehold · Mar 2025 Confirmed source ↗
Land use planning permit 地字第6405022025YG0007516号 for 宁夏中卫数据中心2号园区 (Park 2). 土地取得方式：出让 (state land-use right granted by transfer). Approval 卫政土批字〔2018〕51号. Industrial land, 150 mu. Term not stated.
Power supply
Dedicated substation110kV · Apr 2025 Confirmed source ↗
Substation No. 1, an indoor 110kV substation (2,020.77 sqm building) inside the Unicom Zhongwei big data centre Park 2. A second substation civil EPC was tendered in 2026. Capacity not stated. · Applies to the whole campus.
Dedicated substationChina Unicom Ningxia (substation owner) · 189 MVA · 110kV · Mar 2025 Confirmed source ↗
One 110kV substation of 3 x 63MVA, two 110kV incoming circuits and 36 outgoing 10kV feeders. A No.2 substation (EIA approved Feb 2026) and No.3 substation (permit Sep 2026) follow, capacities not read. · Applies to the whole campus.
Water and cooling
CoolingAir cooled · design PUE 1.1 Reported source ↗
Natural fresh air cooling with a near field small wind wall.
CoolingHybrid air and liquid cooling · design PUE 1.2 Reported source ↗
Fresh-air cooling plus indirect evaporative cooling, fluorine pump fan walls and cold-plate liquid cooling.

Sources checked 2026-10-19

  1. 走进新国企｜丝路关隘，蝶变算力之都 (国资小新 (SASAC) via Sina, 2026-05-13)
  2. 中国联通与腾讯合作首批智算集群交付 (人民邮电报 via Sina, 2025-04-08)
  3. 智算项目全力提速 联通助力描绘“西部数谷”新蓝图 (C114, 2024-11-19)
  4. 宁夏中卫数字信息产业开发区发展规划（2026—2035年）（征求意见稿） (中卫市人民政府, 2025-12-17)
  5. 半年超157亿元！运营商智算中心加速“跑”（附图） (通信产业网 via 腾讯新闻, 2026-07-14)
  6. 2026年自治区重点建设项目清单 (宁夏回族自治区发展和改革委员会, 2026-01-06)
  7. 中国联通宁夏中卫云数据中心项目局部优化调整规划设计方案批前公示 (中卫市人民政府 (中卫市自然资源局), 2026-09-17)
  8. 宁夏中卫数据中心2号园区项目局部优化调整规划设计方案批前公示 (中卫市人民政府 (中卫市自然资源局), 2026-08-24)
  9. 中卫市生态环境局关于2025年3月20日作出的建设项目环境影响评价文件审批决定的公告 (中卫市人民政府 (中卫市生态环境局), 2025-03-21)
  10. 中卫市生态环境局关于2026年2月6日作出的建设项目环境影响评价文件审批决定的公告 (中卫市人民政府 (中卫市生态环境局), 2026-02-12)
  11. 2025年中国联通宁夏中卫云数据中心DC7 新建工程建设工程规划许可证证后公示 (中卫市人民政府 (中卫市自然资源局), 2025-05-27)
  12. 2024年中国联通宁夏中卫云数据中心四期土建新建工程（2号运营支撑中心、4号智算机房楼）建设工程规划许可证证后公示 (中卫市人民政府 (中卫市自然资源局), 2025-06-05)
  13. 2025年中国联通宁夏中卫云数据中心3号变电站新建工程建设工程规划许可证证后公示 (中卫市人民政府 (中卫市自然资源局), 2026-09-21)
  14. 从“大漠绿洲”到“算力之都”：中卫如何成为数字经济赋能者？ (界面新闻, 2026-04-23)

More in Zhongwei

Also run by China Unicom

All projects in Zhongwei · All projects in China · All China Unicom projects · All projects operational and expanding · Full directory

Project team on other projects: China Mobile Design Institute (中国移动设计院)

Planned MW is IT load, the power available to servers, unless marked otherwise. Running capacity is rarely published, so a missing figure means undisclosed. Definitions, sourcing standards and evidence rules are on the Methodology page. Data is CC BY-NC 4.0. Corrections go to corrections@arusgrid.com. Dataset updated 2026-10-18.