- The Hangzhou robotics firm will deploy hundreds of inspection robots at a computing hub in Inner Mongolia under an eight-year service agreement
- The deal highlights growing demand for automated operations as China’s AI infrastructure buildout accelerates
Hangzhou-based Shenhao Technology (申昊科技) has secured a 1.167 billion yuan ($173 million) contract to provide intelligent operations and maintenance services for a green computing center in Hohhot, marking one of the largest known robotics-driven maintenance projects tied to China’s expanding AI infrastructure sector.
The company signed the agreement with Yuxin Yanchen (煜芯炎宸), a technology firm that recently relocated from Beijing to Hangzhou and focuses on the construction and operation of AI data centers.
The project adopts a combined equipment-and-services model. About 570 maintenance robots and related services account for 327 million yuan of the contract value, while an additional 840 million yuan covers eight years of operations and maintenance services.
A hybrid maintenance force
Under the arrangement, robots will handle roughly 30% of maintenance work, with engineers responsible for the remaining 70%. The contract allows for additional robot deployments based on operational needs, with no fixed upper limit on equipment investment.
The order is nearly four times Shenhao’s 2025 revenue of 312 million yuan, although deliveries will be phased.
Initial trial operations are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, while the first batch of 300 robots is due for delivery by the end of 2027.
Human expertise still leads operations
Inspection robots have become increasingly common in China’s power sector, though they typically complement rather than replace human workers.
Robots are often assigned repetitive, high-frequency or hazardous inspection tasks, while engineers focus on complex decision-making and emergency response.
According to a 2026 report by IIM, a market research firm, China’s power inspection market reached $8.52 billion in 2025. Industry estimates suggest inspection robot penetration has risen from less than 10% in 2020 to between 20% and 30% in 2025.
Photos released by Shenhao indicate that the outdoor quadruped robots used in the project are likely based on the X30 model developed by Hangzhou-based DEEP Robotics (云深处科技).
Recent procurement documents offer a glimpse into pricing. In a forest fire prevention project tendered by telecom company China Tower earlier this year, pre-tax price ceilings for different X30 configurations ranged from 340,000 yuan to 540,000 yuan per unit, depending on payloads such as dual-spectrum cameras and gas sensors.
Deepening partnership
Based on the 327 million yuan equipment portion of the latest contract, the average value per robot works out to roughly 570,000 yuan, broadly consistent with the positioning of industrial-grade quadruped robots in the market.
The partnership also reflects a division of labor that has been developing for some time. DEEP Robotics supplies the robot hardware, while Shenhao contributes industry expertise and system integration capabilities.
The two companies formalized a strategic partnership in March 2025, aiming to expand robotic applications across power inspection, emergency response, public safety and petrochemical facilities.
Known for its inspection robots used in substations and power distribution facilities, Shenhao is now extending its business beyond traditional power infrastructure and into data centers, as demand grows for automated maintenance at large-scale computing facilities.
