Castrol and Airsys partner on liquid cooling
Author: Joe Peck
Castrol, a British multinational lubricants company owned by BP, and Airsys, a provider of data centre cooling systems, have formed a partnership to advance liquid cooling technologies for data centres, aiming to meet the growing demands of next-generation computing and AI applications.
The collaboration will see the companies integrate their technologies, co-develop new products, and promote greater industry awareness of liquid cooling. A recent milestone includes Castrol’s Immersion Cooling Fluid DC 20 being certified as fully compatible with Airsys’ LiquidRack systems.
Addressing rising cooling demands in the AI era
The partnership comes as traditional air-cooling methods struggle to keep pace with increasing power densities.
Research from McKinsey indicates that average rack power density has more than doubled in two years to 17kW. Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT can consume over 80kW per rack, while Nvidia’s latest chips may require up to 120kW per rack.
Castrol’s own research found that 74% of data centre professionals believe liquid cooling is now the only viable option to handle these requirements. Without effective cooling, systems face risks of overheating, failure, and equipment damage.
Industry expertise and collaboration
By combining Castrol’s 125 years of expertise in fluid formulation with Airsys’ 30 years of cooling system development, the companies aim to accelerate the adoption of liquid cooling.
Airsys has also developed spray cooling technology designed to address the thermal bottleneck of AI whilst reducing reliance on mechanical cooling.
“Liquid cooling is no longer just an emerging trend; it’s a strategic priority for the future of thermal management,” says Matthew Thompson, Managing Director at Airsys United Kingdom.
“At Airsys, we’ve built a legacy in air cooling over decades, supporting critical infrastructure with reliable, high-performance systems. This foundation has enabled us to evolve and lead in liquid cooling innovation.
“Our collaboration with Castrol combines our engineering depth with their expertise in advanced thermal fluids, enabling us to deliver next-generation solutions that meet the demands of high-density, high-efficiency environments.”
Peter Huang, Global President, Data Centre and Thermal Management at Castrol, adds, “Castrol has been working closely with Airsys for two years, and we’re excited to continue working together as we look to accelerate the adoption of liquid cooling technology and to help the industry support the AI boom.
“We have been co-engineering solutions with OEMs for decades, and the partnership with Airsys is another example of how Castrol leans into technical problems and supports its customers and partners in delivering optimal outcomes.”
For more from Castrol, click here.
