Cooling

Reinforce cooling to avoid summer downtime, operators urged

Off the back of unseasonably high spring temperatures, data centre operators are being encouraged to prepare for the summer heat by working with specialist partners to supplement cooling in emergencies, maintenance, and upgrades. The callout comes from temporary power generation and temperature control company Aggreko, which has warned that the combination of rising temperatures and ageing infrastructure could significantly impact uptime on industrial, commercial, and retail sites across the UK. Temperatures exceeding 25°C are now becoming increasingly common throughout the nation, placing older generations of equipment, which aren’t designed to operate in these ranges, at risk of overheating and subsequently failing. The chances of breakdowns are drastically raised if equipment hasn’t been properly maintained, with blocked condenser coils potentially forcing a system to overwork to the point of compressor failure. In the data centre sector, even a brief failure in cooling systems could lead to catastrophic consequences. Without adequate temperature control, overheating can lead to hardware damage, data loss, and service outages, resulting in severe financial penalties. As temperatures this year have already reached over 29°C, Chris Smith, Head of Temperature Control for UK and Ireland at Aggreko, has called upon data centre operators to assess their cooling capacity to ensure that critical operations remain uninterrupted. He says, “If recent temperatures are anything to go by, then this summer is set to bring even more extreme conditions capable of driving equipment to the point of failure. If facilities rely on ageing HVAC systems to keep processes ticking, then the risk of breakdowns during heatwaves only increases. “Working with a specialist in both HVAC and power can be the real difference maker. Doing so provides contractors with the opportunity to leverage specialist expertise and tailored solutions that address immediate cooling needs and safeguard operations against the risks posed by extreme temperatures.” Aggreko claims that with a 'thorough understanding of the challenges of critical temperature applications,' its team of technical experts can help determine the temporary and supplementary cooling, heating, and dehumidification solutions required based on a project, location, and temperature requirements. Its cooling provision spans industrial chillers ranging from 50kW to 1500kW, air conditioners in sizes from 50kW to 200kW, and cooling towers with single units from 2500kW or combined units for multi-megawatt projects. For more from Aggreko, click here.

Aggreko bolsters industrial HVAC support with new appointment

British multinational temporary power generation and temperature control company Aggreko has strengthened its data centres sector industrial HVAC support with the appointment of Chris Smith as Head of Temperature Control for the UK and Ireland. With over 22 years of experience at Aggreko working across Europe, Chris is set to support data centre professionals with temporary and supplementary cooling, heating, and dehumidification requirements. The appointment comes as companies across the UK and Ireland continue to experience operational and process temperature challenges caused by changing weather patterns throughout the year. With high temperature spikes expected over the summer, there is increasing strain on HVAC systems across industries, resulting in further demand for reliable solutions while balancing vital maintenance and upgrade schedules. To support sites across the UK with this, Aggreko says it has invested in its capacity to support data centre professionals, both in increasing its fleet of industrial HVAC systems and developing the knowledge to correctly implement the equipment. Chris Smith, new Head of Temperature Control for Aggreko UK and Ireland, comments, “It’s great to lead our expert teams in supporting the data centre industry, alongside contractors, engineers, and energy managers working within them, [and] across the UK and Ireland with their industrial HVAC and process temperature needs. With unrivalled experience in the power sector, Aggreko is best placed to ensure that our solutions operate as efficiently and sustainably as possible to help our customers prevent any challenges that may present themselves throughout the year. “We are able to also achieve better optimisation and efficiency to deliver both cost and environmental savings through data collected through our control and monitoring solution, Aggreko Connect. I’m ready to hit the ground running and help our customers future-proof their industrial HVAC process temperature solutions so that they can combat any weather throughout the year.” Alan Dunne, Managing Director for Aggreko UK and Ireland, adds, “With his extensive expertise, it’s great to be bringing Chris into the UK and Ireland team to lead with our industrial HVAC process temperature offering at a crucial time where solutions are needed. “Helping provide the data centre industry with efficient and resilient solutions, Chris and our expert engineering teams will be able to support our customers through the entire process. Through this, we will be able to implement our leading solutions and strengthen our position as leaders to the industry.” For more from Aggreko, click here.

Trane expands liquid cooling portfolio

Trane, an American manufacturer of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, has announced enhanced liquid cooling capabilities for its thermal management systems, intended to help data centres become more future-ready. These include new, scalable Coolant Distribution Units (CDU), from 2.5MW to 10MW. “We are a trusted innovator for mission-critical infrastructure, continuously co-innovating with our customers to design and develop the custom, integrated thermal management systems needed to support sustainable business growth,” claims Steve Obstein, Vice President and General Manager, Data Centers & High-Tech, Trane Technologies. “Through our scalable, modular approach to liquid cooling we can provide a platform for future sustainable capacity growth and thermal load requirements associated with rapidly escalating AI needs.” The scalable 2.5MW to 10MW platform adds to Trane's 1MW CDU, aiming to give data centres flexible, direct-to-chip cooling capacity to manage high-density computing environments. The company says it supports operations and uptime throughout the lifecycle of the data centre through its service and network of data-centre-qualified technicians, located in proximity to customers, and Smart Service options for monitoring, predictive maintenance, and energy management. Key features of the new products include: • Modular scalability — Supporting cooling capacities up to 10MW, adaptable to data centre sizes. • Direct-to-chip liquid cooling technology — Optimised for high-density data centres. • Compact footprint — Provides up to 10MW cooling capacity in a factory-skid-mounted design. • Service and support — Access to resources and data-centre-qualified technicians from Trane. For more from Trane, click here.

Proof-of-concept for immersion cooling data centres in Italy

Castrol, a British multinational lubricants company owned by BP, has supported the launch of a proof-of-concept for immersion-cooled data centres in Italy by MGH Systems and Dacta. The proof-of-concept project, involving Castrol’s immersion cooling fluids and thermal experience, has been launched in collaboration with Submer (the tank provider) and Compal (the server provider). It marks a step forward in efficient data centre operations and the growth of liquid cooling in Italy. It also aims to showcase how the data centre industry can future-proof itself and keep up with increased computing demand. Peter Huang, Global Vice President of Data Centre Thermal Management at Castrol, says, “The Italian data centre industry is booming: investments are expected to double to €10 billion between 2025-2026 compared with the previous two years. However, to make the most of this opportunity, the industry must innovate – so we’re pleased to help drive the adoption of immersion cooling in Italy. “Our recent industry research indicates that traditional air cooling systems struggle to handle increased computing demands from AI and edge computing applications, with 74% of data centre experts believing immersion cooling is now essential to meet current power requirements. By working closely with other industry experts on this project, we aim to showcase how immersion cooling can create more efficient, future-proof data centres that are reliable and scalable.” This project will be based in the heart of Italy’s data centre market in Vimercate, a Northern Italian town that sits just outside Milan. In recent years, the region has become a central hub for future growth in the sector, with Equinix, Vantage, Microsoft, Amazon-AWS, and others investing billions into the area. The deployment will use Castrol ON’s Immersion Cooling Fluid DC 20, a single-phase dielectric coolant with improved thermal management performance that is designed to enable stable and more efficient cooling of data centres. Marco Brivio, MGH Systems Founder, comments, "As our first deployment in Italy, this proof-of-concept puts the country firmly at the forefront of efficient data centre innovation, with collaboration between Castrol and Submer proving critical to bringing this vision to life. This early deployment demonstrates that MGH and Dacta are deeply committed to supporting the evolution of IT technologies towards High Performance Computing and AI. As designers and integrators of immersion cooling systems, MGH and Dacta are driving more efficient use of data centres, significantly improving both IT power density per square metre and overall energy consumption." Franco Caroli, Southern Europe & Africa Sales Director at Submer, adds, “This deployment is the outcome of a strategic collaboration that redefines how we approach efficiency, resilience, and sustainability in digital infrastructure. Working alongside MGH Systems, and in collaboration with Castrol and Compal, it showcases how we ensure that a deployment isn’t just technically sound, but also commercially scalable. It sets a precedent for what the future of data centres in southern Europe can look like.” For more from Castrol, click here.

LFB launches Lennox-branded fan wall

Adding to its ApX Series range of cooling infrastructure for hyperscale and edge data centres, LFB Group, a European HVAC and refrigeration company, has launched its new Fan Wall Unit (FWU) - a modular cooling product built with the aim of meeting the demands of modern computing environments. LFB Group, following its transition from Lennox EMEA in April 2025, says its Lennox-branded FWU has a scalable cooling range from 100kW to 1000kW and comes with a compact footprint. It features electronically commutated (EC) fans, advanced coil designs, and customisable configurations, with a modular architecture allowing for capacity expansion. The company believes that, despite the rise in AI and both chip and rack densities, air cooling is still of importance. Matt Evans, CEO of the Data Centre Solutions business at LFB Group, says, "Cooling has always been one of the most pressing challenges facing data centre operators. But, with the rise in demand for data centres - as well as the rise in co-location data centres - we’re entering a new era where flexibility is being required more than ever before. "Our Fan Wall Unit is designed to deliver exactly that. It combines the performance figures, scalability, and adaptability that today’s environments require, without adding unnecessary complexity. The FWU showcases experience-led system design that integrates seamlessly into a variety of data centre footprints. "Our focus has always been on listening to operators, understanding their real-world constraints, and helping them solve the challenges that slow their growth. We see this as a collaborative journey - one that doesn’t end with installation, but continues as needs change, technology advances, and workloads evolve. The introduction of this tailored Fan Wall Unit represents a meaningful step forward, and we’re excited about the role it will play in shaping the next generation of digital infrastructure as part of a broader pipeline of innovations that are on the horizon.”

Shell launches Direct Liquid Cooling fluid

Shell, a British-Dutch multinational oil and gas company, is turning down the heat and turning up the performance in data centres with the launch of Shell DLC Fluid S3 — a Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) fluid designed to meet the demands of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence (AI). This propylene glycol-based fluid aims to complement Shell’s existing cooling fluid portfolio and involvement in the data centre liquid cooling market. As data centers grow more powerful, traditional air-cooling struggles to keep up with the increasing heat generated by high-performance computing and AI. DLC fluids tackle this heat by targeting high heat load components to ensure densely packed server racks can continue to operate at optimal temperatures. By directly cooling high-performance components like Central Processing Units (CPUs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), DLC fluids can improve Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) by up to 27% (in comparison with the PUE of air-cooling) and reduce the need for energy-consuming air conditioning. Shell DLC Fluid S3 also meets the Open Compute Project (OCP) PG25 coolant specifications, including standards for material compatibility. Some features of the Shell DLC Fluid S3 include: · Long-term corrosion protection for all DLC cooling systems, including aluminium, brass, cast iron, steel, solder, and copper. · Heat transfer performance: Particularly, according to Shell, for high-surface-area copper-based heat sinks. · Compatible with a range of materials including metals and metal alloys, elastomers, plastics, and other wetted materials as per OCP guidelines. Its 2-ethylhexyl acrylate-, borate- and silicate-free formulation intends to provide improved metal and rubber compatibilities over competitive formulations. · Extended fluid life: Expected life of 6+ years, potentially four better than conventional inorganic acid technology (IAT) based fluids. · Leak detection: Dyed fluorescent green to help identify in-service leakage. · Freeze protection: Used in servers and electronic components to provide freeze protection down to sub-zero temperatures (−10°C/14°F) and help prevent corrosion. “With Shell DLC Fluid S3, Shell now offers both direct-to-chip and full immersion cooling solutions, and we’re not just keeping data centres cool in the age of AI — we’re powering the future of digital infrastructure,” says Aysun Akik, VP New Business Development and Global Key Accounts, Shell Lubricants. “We are continuing our commitment to innovation that delivers on performance, sustainability, and reliability to support our customers’ goals.” Aysun continues, “Our growing range of advanced liquid cooling solutions is designed to meet the diverse needs of modern data centres both today and tomorrow – and are backed by the strength of Shell’s global footprint, supply chain, and five technology development hubs around the globe.” For more from Shell, click here.

Aligned debuts its Advanced Cooling Lab

Aligned Data Centers, a technology infrastructure company, has announced the launch of its new Advanced Cooling Lab. The lab is dedicated to testing and developing Aligned’s air and liquid cooling solutions for Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and emerging AI accelerators. Aligned's Phoenix-based Advanced Cooling Lab has been designed to promote hybrid cooling environments and advance data centre infrastructure. The company's Delta Cube air-cooled system and DeltaFlow liquid-cooled system aim to ensure customers have the capacity and performance needed for AI and HPC workloads. “Aligned has been innovating data centre cooling for more than a decade,” says Michael Welch, Chief Technology Officer at Aligned Data Centers. “The Advanced Cooling Lab is a testament to our commitment to delivering cutting-edge data centre solutions and our passion for innovation. By investing in research and development, we can continue to provide our customers with the most flexible and advanced infrastructure available, capable of handling the dynamic demands of AI workloads.” For more from Aligned, click here.

Castrol launches new fluid management service

Castrol, a British multinational lubricants company owned by BP, known for its presence in the automotive industry, has launched a new fluid management service for data centre liquid cooling, addressing a critical gap as the industry transitions away from traditional air-cooling systems. Announced at the Datacloud Global Congress 2025 in Cannes, France, Castrol’s new service model aims to cover all four phases of the data centre operation lifecycle: system start-up, ongoing maintenance, break-fix support, and fluid disposal. The approach is designed to help remove operational barriers in the adoption of liquid cooling in data centres. "Data centre operators recognise the benefits of liquid cooling but need assurance around long-term fluid management," states Peter Huang, Global Vice President of Data Centre Thermal Management at Castrol. "Castrol has delivered fluid services for the automotive industry for decades – we're now bringing this proven expertise to data centres with a service model that supports optimal performance throughout the entire lifecycle.” The four-phase service includes:1. System start-up support with fluid installation, filtration, system flushing, and certificates of analysis.2. Ongoing maintenance, such as laboratory testing, dynamic monitoring, predictive maintenance, and smart dosing capabilities.3. ‘Break-fix’ service, including telephone assistance, virtual engineering support, on-site response, and spare fluid availability.4. Support with fluid collection and disposal. Castrol’s service launch comes at a time when the data centre industry faces mounting pressure to improve cooling efficiency. Recent industry research indicates that traditional air-cooling systems struggle to handle increased computing demands from AI and edge computing applications, with 74% of data centre experts believing immersion cooling is now essential to meet current power requirements. "Our aim with this new service model is to remove the operational and technical uncertainties that have slowed liquid cooling adoption," says Andrea Zunino, Global Offer Development Manager at Castrol. "Within liquid cooling systems, the fluid represents a single point of failure – degraded conditions can reduce cooling capacity and lead to equipment failure. We're going beyond just fluid supply to deliver structured support at every stage, giving data centre operators the confidence they need to embrace liquid cooling.” The new service model will be deployed globally through Castrol's partner network. All services will be delivered with third-party suppliers. The availability and rollout of certain services may vary by location and may be introduced at different times depending on regional factors. For more from Castrol, click here.

LiquidStack unveils GigaModular CDU

LiquidStack, a global company specialising in liquid cooling for data centres, today at Datacloud Global Congress unveiled its all-new GigaModular CDU — the industry’s first modular, scalable Coolant Distribution Unit with up to 10MW cooling capacity, made possible through the unit’s modular platform and 'pay-as-you-grow' installation approach. Driven by dramatic increases in the adoption of AI, cloud computing, and other data-intensive technologies, the global data centre liquid cooling market is predicted to grow from $5.17 billion in 2025 to approximately $15.75 billion by 2030. Simultaneously, the demanding nature of AI workloads is pushing data centre thermal management requirements even further. With hardware such as Nvidia’s B300 and GB300 soon to arrive — and subsequent generations of even more powerful iterations inevitably following thereafter — the need to future-proof cooling capacity has never been greater. These increasingly sophisticated technologies generate far greater heat densities than traditional processing units, with rack power densities already exceeding 120kW per rack, and growing to 600kW by the end of 2027. "AI will keep pushing thermal output to new extremes, and data centres need cooling systems that can be easily deployed, managed, and scaled to match heat rejection demands as they rise,” says Joe Capes, CEO of LiquidStack. “With up to 10MW of cooling capacity at N, N+1, or N+2, the GigaModular is a platform like no other — we designed it to be the only CDU our customers will ever need. It future-proofs design selections for direct-to-chip liquid cooling without traditional limits or boundaries." Key features of the LiquidStack GigaModular CDU platform include: ● Scalable cooling capacity: A modular platform supporting single-phase, direct-to-chip liquid cooling heat loads from 2.5MW to 10MW. ● Pump module: An IE5 pump and dual BPHx, alongside dual 25um strainers. ● Control module: A centralised design with separate pump and control modules. ● Instrumentation kits: Centralised pressure, temperature, and EM flow sensors. ● Simplified service access: Serviceable from the front of the unit, with no rear or end access required, allowing the system to be placed against the wall. ● Optional configuration: Skid-mounted system with rail and overhead piping pre-installed or shipped as separate cabinets for on-site assembly. LiquidStack will showcase the new GigaModular CDU at Datacloud Global Congress in Cannes, France, from 3-5 June at the Palais des Festivals. Attendees can visit LiquidStack at Booth #88 for a VR-driven demonstration. GigaModular CDU quoting will begin by September 2025 with production in LiquidStack’s manufacturing facilities in Carrollton, Texas (USA). For more from LiquidStack, click here.

Ecolab launches new cooling management technology

Ecolab, a global sustainability leader offering water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions, has announced the launch of a new technology to drive high-performance data centre cooling. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has created exponential growth for data centres, with US data centre energy demand expected to grow from 25 GW in 2024 to more than 80 GW by 2030. By aiming to enable reliable uptime, reduce water consumption, and optimise energy efficiency, Ecolab's technology intends to help operators address the water, energy, and performance demands of AI-driven computing. As part of the launch, Ecolab will highlight the full portfolio in Booth 102 at Datacloud Global Congress 2025, taking place in Cannes, France, from 3 to 5 June. “The accelerated growth of AI, which is driving rapidly increasing rack densities, creates complexity for data centre operators as they address competing resource and business demands,” comments Mukul Girotra, Vice President and General Manager, Global High Tech. “By integrating monitoring, performance insights, and global expertise, we can help data centres prepare with scalable solutions that enable them to navigate the pressure of reliably doing more with less.” The new development is referred to as 3D TRASAR Technology for Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling, and has been designed for next-generation server environments. The system delivers real-time monitoring of coolant health, tracking coolant concentration, temperature, pH, flow rates and other fluid health indicators to help protect direct-to-chip servers and critical cooling infrastructure. The new solution is supported by Ecolab’s Water Quality IQ performance insights, which provide data and recommended actions for operators. It also includes field service and lab analysis provided by multiple research facilities around the world, with results advertised to be available in as little as five days. “Data centre operators need cooling systems that can keep pace with rapidly advancing heat loads,” says Mukul. “This portfolio, anchored by 3D TRASAR Technology for Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling, expands our capabilities with advanced cooling technology for the data centre white space.” Ecolab’s full suite of cooling management solutions also consists of previously established programs: • 3D TRASAR for Cooling Water — which aims to help enhance cooling tower and chiller efficiency while minimising water use. • 3D TRASAR for Adiabatic Cooling — which seeks to optimise direct evaporative cooling system performance through continuous water quality monitoring, and to support longer asset life and consistent operation with maintenance-free conductivity sensing. • Water Flow Intelligence — which aims to deliver real-time visibility into water usage at the enterprise, site, and asset levels. For more from Ecolab, click here.