Liquid Cooling Technologies Driving Data Centre Efficiency

Iceotope launches new precision liquid-cooled server

Iceotope, a Precision Liquid Cooling (PLC) specialist, has announced the launch of KUL AI, a new solution to deliver the promise of AI everywhere and offering significant operational advantages where enhanced thermal management and maximum server performance are critical. KUL AI features an 8-GPU Gigabyte G293 data centre server-based solution integrated with Iceotope’s Precision Liquid Cooling and powered by Intel Xeon Scalable processors – the most powerful server integrated by Iceotope to date. Designed to support dense GPU compute, the 8-GPU G293 carries NVIDIA Certified-Solutions accreditation and is optimised by design for liquid cooling with dielectric fluids. KUL AI ensures uninterrupted, reliable compute performance by maintaining optimal temperatures, protecting critical IT components, and minimising failure rates, even during sustained GPU operations. The surge in power consumption and sheer volume of data produced by new technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and machine learning poses significant challenges for data centres. To achieve maximum server performance without throttling, Iceotope's KUL AI uses an advanced precision cooling solution for faster processing, more accurate results, and sustained GPU execution, even for demanding workloads. KUL AI is highly scalable and proven to achieve up to four times compaction, handling growing data and model complexity without sacrificing performance. Its innovative specifications make KUL AI ideal for a range of industries where AI is becoming increasingly essential: from AI research and development centres, HPC labs and cloud service provider (CSPs), to media production and visual effects (VFX) studios, and financial services and quantitative trading firms. Fitting seamlessly into the KUL family of Iceotope technologies, KUL AI uses Iceotope’s Precision Liquid Cooling technology which offers several advantages – from providing uniform cooling across all heat-generating server components to reducing hotspots and improving overall efficiency. Additionally, PLC eliminates the need for supplementary air cooling, leading to simpler deployments and lower overall energy consumption. Improving cost-effectiveness and operation efficiency are constant targets for Iceotope. In fact, KUL AI’s advanced thermal management maximises server utilisation, boosting compute density, cutting energy costs, and extending hardware lifespan for a lower total cost of ownership (TCO). Furthermore, KUL AI cuts energy use by up to 40% and water consumption by 96%, and minimises operational costs, while maintaining high thermal efficiency and meeting sustainability targets. Built with scalability and adaptability in mind, KUL AI is deployable in both data centres and across all edge IT installations. Precision Liquid Cooling removes noisy server fans from the cooling process, resulting in near-silent operations and making KUL AI ideal for busy non-IT and populous workspaces which nonetheless demand sustained GPU performance. Ideal for latency-sensitive edge deployments and environments with extreme conditions, KUL AI is sealed and protected at the server level, not only ensuring uniform cooling of all components on the GPU motherboard, but also rendering it impervious to airborne contaminants and humidity for greater reliability. Crucially, PLC minimises the risk of leaks and system damage, making it a safe choice for any critical environments. Nathan Blom, Co-CEO of Iceotope, says, “The unprecedented volume of data being generated by new technologies demands a state-of-the-art solution which not only guarantees server performance, but delivers on all vectors of efficiency and sustainability. KUL AI is a pioneering product delivering more computational power and rack space. It offers a scalable system for data centres and is adaptable in non-IT environments, enabling AI everywhere.” The launch will be showcased for the first time at Super Computing 2024, taking place in Atlanta from 17-22 November 2024. The Iceotope team will be welcoming interested parties at nVent Booth 1738. To schedule an introductory meeting, contact sales@iceotope.com. For more from Iceotope, click here.

atNorth announces data centre expansion in Iceland

atNorth, the Nordic colocation, high-performance computing, and AI service provider, has announced the substantial expansion of two of its data centres in Iceland. The ICE02 campus near Keflavík will gain an additional capacity of 35MW, while the ICE03 site in Akureyri (which opened last year) will gain additional capacity of 16MW. Both sites have surplus space for further expansion in line with future demand. Both data centre sites are highly energy efficient, operating at a maximum PUE of 1.2, and will also be able to accommodate the latest in air and liquid cooling technologies, depending on customer preference. The initial phase of ICE02’s expansion became operational in Q3 2024 and all further phases for both sites are expected to be completed in the first half of 2025. The innovative design of the data centres caters to data-intensive businesses that require high-density infrastructure for high-performance computing. The sites currently accommodate companies such as Crusoe, Advania, RVX, DNV, Opera, BNP Paribas, and Tomorrow.io. As part of atNorth’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and collaboration, the business has also entered into a partnership with AgTech startup, Hringvarmi, to recycle excess heat for use in food production. As part of this agreement, Hringvarmi will place its Generation 1 prototype module within ICE03 to test the concept of transforming 'data into dinner' by utilising waste heat to grow microgreens in collaboration with the food producer, Rækta Microfarm “We are delighted to be part of atNorth’s innovative data centre ecosystem”, says Justine Vanhalst, Co-Founder of Hringvarmi. “Our partnership aims to boost Iceland’s agriculture industry to lessen the need for imported produce and contribute to Iceland’s circular economy”. The expansion plans reflect the huge demand, both domestically and internationally for atNorth’s sustainable data centre solutions. Data intensive businesses, including hyperscalers and companies that run AI and High-Performance Computing workloads, recognise the quality of the digital infrastructure available and are attracted by Iceland’s advantageous location. The country benefits from a consistently cool climate and an abundance of renewable energy in addition to fully redundant connectivity and a highly skilled workforce. “We are experiencing a considerable increase in interest in our highly energy efficient, sustainable data centres”, says Eyjólfur Magnús Kristinsson, CEO at atNorth. “We have power agreements and building permits in place and will meet this demand as part of our ongoing sustainable expansion strategy”. atNorth operates seven data centres in four of the five Nordic countries and currently has four new data centre sites in development: two in Finland (FIN02 in Helsinki and FIN04 in Kouvola), and two in Denmark (DEN01 in the Ballerup region and DEN02 in Ølgod in Varde). For more from atNorth, click here.

Schneider Electric acquires liquid cooling company

Schneider Electric has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire a controlling interest in Motivair Corporation, a company that specialises in liquid cooling and advanced thermal management solutions for high performance computing systems. The advent of Generative-AI and the introduction of Large Language Models (LLMs) have been additional catalysts driving enhanced power needs to support increased digitisation across end-markets. This shift to accelerated computing is resulting in new data centre architectures requiring more efficient cooling solutions, particularly liquid cooling, as traditional air cooling alone cannot mitigate the higher heat generated as a result. As the compute within data centres becomes higher-density, the need for effective cooling will grow, with multiple market and analyst forecasts predicting growth in liquid cooling solutions in excess of +30% CAGR in the coming years. This transaction strengthens Schneider Electric’s portfolio of direct-to-chip liquid cooling and high-capacity thermal solutions, enhancing existing offerings and furthering innovation in cooling technology. Headquartered in Buffalo, New York, Motivair was founded in 1988 and currently has over 150 employees. Leveraging its strong engineering competency and deep domain expertise, Motivair has a range of offers including Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs), Rear Door Heat Exchangers (RDHx), Cold Plates and Heat Dissipation Units (HDUs), alongside Chillers for thermal management. Motivair provides its customers with a portfolio to meet the thermal challenges of modern computing technology. While liquid cooling is not a new technology, specific application to the data centre and AI environment represents a nascent market set for strong growth in the coming years. Motivair has years of experience in cooling the world’s fastest supercomputers with liquid cooling solutions. In recent quarters, the company has been tracking a strong double-digit growth trajectory, which is expected to continue as it pivots to provide end-to-end liquid cooling solutions to several of the largest data centre and AI customers. Peter Herweck, CEO of Schneider Electric, comments, “The acquisition of Motivair represents an important step, furthering our world leading position across the data centre value chain. The unique liquid cooling portfolio of Motivair complements our value proposition in data centre cooling and further strengthens our prominent position in data centre build out, from grid to chip and from chip to chiller.” Rich Whitmore, President & CEO of Motivair Corporation - who will continue to run the Motivair business out of Buffalo after the closing of the transaction - adds, “Schneider Electric shares our core values and commitment to innovation, sustainability and excellence. Joining forces with Schneider will enable us to further scale our operations and invest in new technologies that will drive our mission forward and solidify our position as an industry leader. We are thrilled to embark on this exciting journey together." Under the terms of the transaction, Schneider Electric will acquire an initial 75% controlling interest in the equity of Motivair for an all-cash consideration of $850 million (£652m), which includes the value of a tax step-up, and values Motivair at a mid-single digit multiple of projected FY2025 revenue. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the coming quarters. On completion, Motivair would be reported within the Energy Management business of Schneider Electric. The Group expects to acquire the remaining 25% of non-controlling interests in 2028. For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

Lenovo expands Neptune liquid cooling ecosystem

Lenovo has expanded its Neptune liquid-cooling technology to more servers with new ThinkSystem V4 designs that help businesses boost intelligence, consolidate IT and lower power consumption in the new era of AI. Powered by Intel Xeon 6 processors with P-cores, the new Lenovo ThinkSystem SC750 V4 supercomputing infrastructure (pictured above) combines peak performance with advanced efficiency to deliver faster insights in a space-optimised design for intensive HPC workloads. The full portfolio includes new Intel-based solutions optimised for rack density and massive transactional data, maximising processing performance in the data centre space for HPC and AI workloads. “Lenovo is helping enterprises of every size and across every industry bring new AI use cases to life based on improvements in real-time computing, power efficiency and ease of deployment,” says Scott Tease, Vice President and General Manager of High-Performance Computing and AI at Lenovo. “The new Lenovo ThinkSystem V4 solutions powered by Intel will transform business intelligence and analytics by delivering AI-level compute in a smaller footprint that consumes less energy.”As part of its ongoing investment in accelerating AI, Lenovo is pushing the envelope with the sixth generation of its Lenovo Neptune liquid-cooling technology, delivering it for mainstream use throughout its ThinkSystem V3 and V4 portfolios through compact design innovations that maximise computing performance while consuming less energy. Lenovo’s proprietary direct water-cooling recycles loops of warm water to cool data centre systems, enabling up to a 40% reduction in power consumption.The Lenovo ThinkSystem SC750 V4 helps support customers’ sustainability goals data centre operations with highly efficient direct water-cooling built directly into the solution and accelerators that deliver even greater workload efficiency with exceptional performance per watt. Engineered for space-optimised computing, the infrastructure fits within less than a square meter of data centre space in industry-standard 19-inch racks, pushing the boundaries of compact general-purpose supercomputing. Leveraging the new infrastructure, organisations can achieve faster time-to-value by quickly and securely unlocking new insights from their data. The ThinkSystem SC750 V4 uses a next-generation MRDIMM memory solution to increase critical memory bandwidth by up to 40%. It is also designed for handling sensitive workloads with enhanced security features for greater protection. Building on Lenovo’s leadership in AI innovation, the new solutions achieve advanced performance, increased reliability and higher density to propel intelligence. For more from Lenovo, click here.

Park Place Technologies introduces liquid cooling solutions

Park Place Technologies, a global data centre and networking optimisation firm, has announced the expansion of its portfolio of IT infrastructure services with the introduction of two liquid cooling solutions for data centres: immersion liquid cooling and direct-to-chip cooling. This announcement comes at a critical time for businesses who are seeing a dramatic increase in the compute power they require, driven by adoption of technologies like AI and IoT. This, in turn, is driving the need for more on-prem hardware, more space for that hardware, and more energy to run it all – presenting a significant financial and environmental challenge for businesses. Park Place Technology says that its new liquid cooling solutions present a strong solution for businesses looking to address these challenges, as the technology has the potential to deliver strong financial and environmental results. Direct-to-chip is an advanced cooling method that applies coolant directly to the server components that generate the most heat including CPUs and GPUs. Immersion cooling empowers data centre operators to do more with less: less space and less energy. Using these methods, businesses can increase their Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) by up to 18 times, and rack density by up to 10 times. Ultimately, this can help deliver power savings of up to 50%, which in turn leads to lower operation costs. From an environmental perspective, liquid cooling is significantly more efficient than traditional air cooling. At present, air cooling technology only captures 30% of the heat generated by the servers, compared to the 100% captured by immersion cooling, resulting in lower carbon emissions for businesses that opt for immersion cooling methods. Park Place Technologies can deliver a complete turnkey solution for organisations looking to implement liquid cooling technology, removing the complexity of adoption, which is a common barrier for businesses. Park Place Technologies provides a single-vendor solution for the whole process from procuring the hardware, conversion of the servers for liquid cooling, installation, maintenance, monitoring and management of the hardware and the cooling technology. “Our new liquid cooling offerings have the potential to have a significant impact on our customers’ costs and carbon emissions, two of the key issues they face today,” says Chris Carreiro, Chief Technology Officer at Park Place Technologies. “Park Place Technologies is ideally positioned to help organisations cut their data centre operations costs, giving them the opportunity to re-invest in driving innovation across their businesses. “The decision to invest in immersion cooling and direct-to-chip cooling depends on various factors, including the specific requirements of the data centre, budget constraints, the desired level of cooling efficiency, and infrastructure complexity. Park Place Technologies can work closely with customers to find the best solution for their business, and can guide them towards the best long-term strategy, while offering short-term results. This takes much of the complexity out of the process, which will enable more businesses to capitalise on this exciting new technology.”

New 1MW Coolant Distribution Unit launched

Airedale by Modine, a critical cooling specialist, has announced the launch of a coolant distribution unit (CDU), in response to increasing demand for high performance, high efficiency liquid and hybrid (air and liquid) cooling solutions in the global data centre industry. The Airedale by Modine CDU will be manufactured in the US and Europe and is suitable for both colocation and hyperscale data centre providers who are seeking to manage higher-density IT heat loads. The increasing data processing power of next-generation central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs), developed to support complex IT applications like AI, result in higher heat loads that are most efficiently served by liquid cooling solutions. The CDU is the key component of any liquid cooling system, isolating facility water systems from the IT equipment and precisely distributing coolant fluid to where it is needed in the server / rack. Delivering up to 1MW of cooling capacity based on ASHRAE W2 or W3 facility water temperatures, Airedale’s CDU offers the same quality and high energy efficiency associated with other Airedale by Modine cooling solutions. Developed with complete, intelligent cooling systems in mind, the CDU’s integrated controls communicates with the site building management system (BMS) and system controls, for optimal performance and reliability. The ability to network up to eight CDUs makes it a flexible and scalable solution, responsive to a wide range of high-density loads. Manufactured with the highest quality materials and components, with N+1 pump redundancy, the Airedale CDU is engineered to perform in the uptime-dependent world of the hyperscale and colocation global data centre markets. Richard Burcher, Liquid Cooling Product Manager at Airedale by Modine, says, “Our investment in the liquid cooling market strengthens Airedale by Modine’s position in the data centre industry. We are seeing an increasing amount of enquiries for liquid cooling solutions, as providers move to a hybrid cooling approach to manage low to mid-density and high-density heat loads in the same space. “Airedale by Modine is a complete system provider, encompassing air and liquid cooling, as well as control throughout the thermal chain, supported with in-territory aftersales. This expertise in all areas of data centre cooling affords our clients complete life-cycle assurance.” For more from Airedale, click here.

Portus Data Centers announces new Hamburg site

Portus Data Centers has announced the planned availability of its new data centre (IPHH4) located on the IPHH Internet Port Hamburg Wendenstrasse campus. Construction work will begin in the first quarter of 2025 and is due to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026 (Phase 1). The Tier III+ data centre is designed for a PUE of 1.2 or under and will have a total IT load of 12.8MW (two infrastructures each 6.4MW). With a data centre area (white space) of 6,380m² (3,190m² per building), the grid connection capacity is 20.3MVA. The facility is already fully compliant with the new EnEfG requirements and liquid cooling will be available for High Performance Computing (HPC). The IPHH data centre business was acquired by Arcus European Infrastructure Fund 3 SCSp on behalf of Portus last year. In addition to IPHH4, adjacent to the existing IPHH3 data centre at the main Wendenstrasse location, IPHH operates two other facilities in Hamburg. Sascha E. Pollok, CEO of IPHH, comments, “With the benefit of significant investment by Arcus under the Portus Data Centers umbrella, I am excited to see the accelerated transformation and expansion of the IPHH operation. IPHH4 will be fully integrated into the virtual campus of IPHH2 and IPHH3, and will therefore be the ideal interconnect location in Hamburg. With around 50 carriers and network operators, just a standard cross connect away, IPHH4 will be a major and highly accessible interconnection hub.” Adriaan Oosthoek, Chairman of Portus Data Centers, adds, “The rapid expansion of IPHH is testament to our mission to establish Portus Data Centers as a major regional force in Germany and adjacent markets. Our buy-and-build regional data centre aggregation strategy is focused on ensuring our current and future locations are equipped with the capacity and connectivity required to meet customer demand.” IPHH’s growing customer base includes telecom carriers, global technology and social media companies and content distribution networks that rely on IPHH’s strong interconnection services. Aligning with Arcus’ commitment to ensuring that its investments have a positive ESG impact, energy consumed by IPHH’s data centres is certified as being 100% renewably sourced. IPHH’s highly efficient facilities currently provide a power usage effectiveness ratio of circa 1.3 times, which is subject to continuous improvement as part of Portus’ ongoing commitment to optimising its ESG policies and practices. For more from Portus, click here.

Aruba activates liquid cooling in Ponte San Pietro data centre

Aruba, an Italian provider of cloud and data centre services, has announced the implementation of liquid cooling within the data centre campus in Ponte San Pietro (BG), near Milan. Liquid cooling enables the support of increasingly dense racks in data centres and meets the needs of new generations of processors. This type of technology is intended to support specialised hardware of public and private customers with specific needs in AI or high-performance computing (HPC); applications that require high processing intensity. “By establishing one of the first spaces equipped to accommodate liquid-cooled cabinets, Aruba is one of few industry players ready to provide the next generation of machines designed for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing," comments Giancarlo Giacomello, Head of Data Centre Offering. “This type of solution responds to the growing needs of the market that require an increase in computing density and power, offering full compatibility with next-generation systems. Integrating liquid cooling solutions into our infrastructures is part of Aruba's innovation strategy, based on the desire to explore and support all initiatives that allow us to offer customers the highest quality, performance and environmentally sustainable solutions. To do so, we design and maintain our data centres at the forefront of technology, ready to face future challenges.” Strengths of liquid cooling include:• Higher thermal efficiency: liquids have a higher heat transfer capacity than air, allowing adequate thermal dissipation for each rack even above certain density thresholds.• Energy efficiency: in high-density infrastructure, this type of cooling proves more efficient than traditional air systems.• Higher computing density: liquid cooling supports processors and GPUs with high thermal requirements and can handle higher power densities. Thanks to the design of Aruba's data centres, the liquid cooling solution was integrated into an environment already in production without needing to dedicate a separate space or portion of the facilities to liquid cooling. This greatly reduced implementation time since all data rooms had already been prepared for applications involving liquid-based heat exchange. For more from Aruba, click here.

Iceotope announces the retirement of CEO David Craig

Iceotope, the precision liquid cooling specialist, has announced the retirement of David Craig from the position of CEO effective from 30 September 2024. The company will be led jointly by Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Nathan Blom and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Simon Jesenko until the appointment of David’s successor. David will continue to advise the company and provide assistance during the transition period. Nathan has a leadership background driving revenue and strategy in Fortune 500 companies, including Lenovo and HP. Simon is a deep tech finance executive with experience supporting private equity and venture capital-backed companies as they achieve hypergrowth. David joined Iceotope in June 2015 and during his nine years at the helm, he has successfully guided the company through a transformative period as it seeks to become recognised as the leader in precision liquid cooling. His achievements include building a strong team with a clear vision to engineer practical liquid cooling solutions to meet emerging challenges, such as AI, distributed telco edge, high power dense computing, and sustainable data centre operations. The company’s cooling technology is critical in meeting today’s global data centre sustainability challenges. Its technology removes nearly 100% of the heat generated, reduces energy use by up to 40% and water consumption by up to 100%. The strength of its technology has attracted an international consortium of investors that include ABC Impact, British Patient Capital, Northern Gritstone, nVent and SDCL. David comments, “The past nine years have been an amazing ride – we have built a fantastic team, developed a great IP portfolio and created the only liquid cooling solution that addresses the thermal and sustainability challenges facing the data centre industry today and tomorrow. “I have enjoyed every moment and have nothing but pride in the team, company and product. However, it feels like now is an appropriate time for me to step aside, enjoy retirement, and focus on other passions in my life; particularly my charitable work in the UK and Africa. I look forward to seeing the future success of Iceotope and can’t wait to see what comes next.” Iceotope Chairman, George Shaw, states, “On behalf of everyone at Iceotope, we thank David for his dedication and endless enthusiasm for the company, the technology and the people who make it all possible. We know he will be a tremendous brand ambassador for precision liquid cooling in the years to come. We wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.” For more from Iceotope, click here.

Iceotope launches state-of-the art liquid cooling lab

Iceotope Technologies, a global provider of precision liquid cooling technology, has announced the launch of Iceotope Labs, the first of its state-of-the-art liquid cooling lab facilities in Sheffield. Designed to revolutionise high-density data centre research and testing capabilities for customers seeking to deploy liquid cooling solutions, Iceotope believes that its Iceotope Labs will set new standards as the industry's most advanced liquid-cooled data centre test environment available today. Amid the exponential growth of AI and machine learning, liquid cooling is rapidly becoming an enabling technology for AI workloads. As operators evolve their data centre facilities to meet this market demand, validating liquid cooling technology is key to future-proofing infrastructure decisions. By leveraging advanced monitoring capabilities, data analysis tools, and a specialist team of test engineers, Iceotope Labs will provide quantitative data and a state-of-the-art research and development (R&D) environment to demonstrate the benefits of liquid cooling to customers and partners seeking to utilise the latest advancements in high-density infrastructure and GPU-powered computing. Examples of recent research conducted by Iceotope Labs includes groundbreaking testing for next-gen chip level cooling at both 1500W and 1000W. These tests demonstrated precision liquid cooling’s ability to meet the thermal demands of future computing architectures needed for AI compute. Working in partnership with Efficiency IT, a UK specialist in data centres, IT and critical communications environments, the first of Iceotope’s bespoke labs showcases the adaptability and flexibility of leveraging liquid cooling in a host of data centre settings including HPC, supercomputing and edge environments. The fully functional, small-scale liquid cooled data centre includes two temperature-controlled test rooms and dedicated space for thermal, mechanical and electronic testing for everything from next generation CPUs and GPUs to racks and manifolds. Iceotope Labs also features a facility water system (FWS) loop, a technology cooling system (TCS) loop with heat exchangers, as well as an outside dry cooler – demonstrating key technologies for a complete liquid cooled facility. The two flexible, secondary loops are independent of each other and have a large temperature band to stress-test the efficiency and resiliency of a customers' IT equipment if and when required. Additionally, the flexible test space considers all ASHRAE guidelines and best practices to ensure optimal conditions for a range of test setups for enhanced control and monitoring all while maximising efficiency and safety. "We are investing in our research and innovation capabilities to offer customers an unparalleled opportunity," says David Craig, CEO of Iceotope. “Iceotope Labs not only serves as a blueprint for what a liquid cooled data centre should be, but is also a collaborative hub for clients to explore liquid cooling solutions without the need for their own lab space. It's a transformative offering within the data centre industry." David continues, “We’d like to thank Efficiency IT for its role in bringing Iceotope Labs to fruition. Its design expertise has empowered us with the flexibility needed to create a cutting-edge facility that exceeds industry standards." “With new advancements in GPU, CPU and AI workloads having a transformative impact on both data centre design and cooling architectures, it’s clear to see that liquid cooling will play a significant role in improving the resiliency, energy and environmental impact of data centres,” adds Nick Ewing, MD, EfficiencyIT. “We’re delighted to have supported Iceotope throughout the design, development and installation of its industry-first Iceotope Lab, and look forward to building on our collaboration as together, we develop a new customer roadmap for high-density, liquid-cooled data centre solutions.” Located at Iceotope's global headquarters in Sheffield, UK, Iceotope Labs further expands the location as a hub for technology innovation and enables Iceotope to continue to deliver the highest level of customer experience. For more from Iceotope, click here.