Bibai is pioneering the ‘White Data Centre’ (WDC) concept, utilising snow-cooled data infrastructure to reduce electricity costs by up to 50%. The city positions itself as Hokkaido’s data-economy hub, leveraging its cold climate, renewable energy surplus, and proximity to the planned Arctic Sea Route to attract IT investment and reverse its post-coal population decline.
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Bibai’s strategic vision centres on eco-digital revitalisation: transitioning from its coal-mining heritage towards a sustainable, data-driven economy. Key achievements include designation as a Ramsar wetland site (Lake Miyajima, 2002), development of snow-cooled data centres as a national model for green ICT infrastructure, and participation in Hokkaido-wide smart agriculture and renewable energy initiatives aligned with Japan’s Society 5.0 framework.
Bibai hosts one of Japan’s first snow-cooled commercial data centres, demonstrating replicable green ICT infrastructure at city scale. The city collaborates with Hokkaido University and national agencies on smart agriculture pilots — including drone-assisted crop monitoring and IoT-based irrigation — providing a living-lab environment for rural-digital convergence solutions.
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