Innovations in Data Center Power and Cooling Solutions

SolidUltra secures €3m to develop 800VDC power technology

SolidUltra, a new European developer of modular solid-state transformers (SSTs) for AI data centres, has secured €3 million (£2.5 million) in funding from founding partner Watt & Well, a French power electronics group. The funding was secured within three months of SolidUltra’s incorporation in June and will reportedly support technology development and industrialisation. The company is developing a medium-voltage SST designed to connect the electricity grid directly to 800VDC distribution systems in a single conversion stage. The technology targets the power requirements of next-generation AI data centres, where GPU racks are moving towards megawatt-scale consumption. Developing power conversion for AI infrastructure SolidUltra says conventional data centre power architectures rely on a low-frequency transformer followed by several conversion stages. As GPU power density increases, this can add to energy losses, cooling requirements, equipment footprint, and deployment times. Its SST is targeting 98.5% efficiency, with the company claiming it could reduce power losses by a factor of three and equipment footprint by a factor of four compared with conventional architectures. It also aims to reduce the carbon footprint of power-conversion infrastructure by up to 10 times and total cost of ownership by around 30%. The modular design is intended to scale from hundreds of kilowatts to 10MW and beyond. Field-replaceable power modules, which the company says can be swapped in under 15 minutes, are designed to support 99.999% availability. The development roadmap is aligned with the industry's move towards 800VDC architectures, including NVIDIA’s plans for future AI data centres. SolidUltra is targeting a commercial launch in 2028, with the funding supporting engineering, industrialisation, and initial customer engagement. Raul Iglesias, CEO of SolidUltra, comments, “AI is not only changing computing; it is fundamentally changing the electrical infrastructure required to power it. With rack power moving towards the megawatt scale, the industry needs to rethink the way electricity is converted and distributed inside data centres. "We created SolidUltra to address that transition with a solution designed from the outset for the 800VDC era, backed by Watt & Well’s industrial base. Securing €3 million only three months after our creation gives us the means to move rapidly towards industrial deployment.” Production targets for 2032 SolidUltra aims to deliver 10,000 modular SST systems by 2032, representing approximately 1GW of installed power. Its founding partner, Watt & Well, brings existing power electronics manufacturing capabilities to the development programme. Romain Beaume, CBO at SolidUltra, says, “Today, data centre operators can wait years to get power to new AI capacity; we want to deliver it in weeks, with lower losses and a footprint four times smaller. Our ambition is to build a European industrial player capable of serving the market on a global scale.”

AVK appoints former UK Energy Minister as Chair

AVK, a provider of power systems and electrical infrastructure for data centres, has appointed former UK Energy Minister Claire Perry O’Neill as Chair of its board, following the completion of a majority investment by Partners Group. The investment, first announced in August 2026, included an initial commitment of more than $1 billion (£741 million) to support the company’s next phase of growth. Claire brings more than 30 years of experience across finance, business, and government. She began her career at Bank of America before completing an MBA at Harvard Business School and taking roles at McKinsey & Company and Credit Suisse First Boston. She was elected MP for Devizes in 2010 and subsequently held several ministerial positions, including Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth. In that role, she led the UK’s bid to host COP26 and served as its first President-Designate. Since leaving the UK Government, she has been Managing Director of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and a Board Director at Scottish Power. Her current roles include Operating Director at Gren Group, Non-Executive Director at Occidental Petroleum and SGX Group, and Board Chair of Climate Impact X. She is also a global advisor to McKinsey & Company and Climate Investments. Investment supports AVK's expansion As Chair, Claire will work with CEO Ben Pritchard, the board, and the leadership team as AVK expands its operations. Her remit includes supporting the growth of AVK Capital, the company’s funding arm, which finances, owns, and operates on-site power systems for data centre developers. Through its Energy as a Service (EaaS) model, AVK enables customers to pay for power through a power purchase agreement (PPA) without upfront capital expenditure or ownership of the assets. Access to power has become a major constraint on data centre and AI infrastructure development in the UK and Europe, with new grid connections taking years to secure in some markets. AVK says that its approach uses on-site generation to bring capacity online sooner, with more than 400 employees across 10 hubs in the UK and Europe, a modular manufacturing facility in Haydock, and an EaaS pipeline of more than 2GW. Claire comments, “I’m delighted to join AVK as Chair at such an important moment. The completion of Partners Group's investment gives AVK the backing to grow faster, and the timing could not be better. "Grid capacity has become one of the biggest barriers to economic growth and the energy transition in the UK and Europe and all of my previous experience suggests that no matter how ambitious the policies, grid expansion faces real constraints. "On-site, flexible power generation has a real role to play as the UK Government’s new Data Centre Covenant makes clear, and AVK has the expertise and ambition to deliver this capability. "My priority is to help AVK’s team turn that potential into growth, working closely with Partners Group to scale AVK Capital and bring speed to power to more customers.” Ben Pritchard, CEO of AVK, says, “Claire’s appointment is an exciting moment for everyone at AVK. She has shaped energy policy at the highest level, led the UK’s early work on COP26, and advised some of the world’s largest businesses on the energy transition. "With Partners Group’s investment now complete, we have the capital to deliver speed to power at scale. Claire’s understanding of how policy, investment, and infrastructure fit together will be invaluable as we grow AVK Capital and help our customers bring new capacity online faster.” Earlier this year, AVK also energised what it describes as Europe’s first large-scale data centre microgrid at Pure DC in Dublin. For more from AVK, click here.

Why thermal management is emerging as a strategic enabler

AI is transforming how we compute, but it is also exposing a critical infrastructure challenge: how do we cool increasingly powerful compute environments? For decades, air cooling has been the foundation of data centre design. It is proven, familiar, and effective for traditional enterprise workloads. However, the demands of AI are fundamentally different. Large-scale AI training, high-performance computing, and dense GPU deployments are driving power densities to levels that push the practical limits of air cooling. Whilst average rack densities have historically ranged from 10 to 20kW, the industry is rapidly moving towards deployments measured in hundreds of kilowatts per rack, with discussions of 600kW and even 1MW architecture becoming more common. This shift is forcing data centre operators to rethink how infrastructure is designed, powered, and cooled. Innovative technologies such as immersion cooling are becoming part of that conversation, not simply as a way to remove heat, but as an enabler of higher compute density, improved efficiency, and scalable AI infrastructure. In the AI era, cooling is no longer just a facilities consideration; rather, it is a strategic infrastructure decision that will help determine how far and how fast organisations can scale the next generation of computing. Stay in the loop Watch, follow, and subscribe to The Cooling Loop on YouTube to keep up with the future of AI and digital infrastructure. For more from ExxonMobil, click here. This article is sponsored by ExxonMobil

Reliable piping infrastructure for high-density and AI workloads

As high-density racks and AI/ML clusters become standard, cooling systems must react quickly and reliably to changing loads. Liquid cooling circuits, combined with suitable piping systems, offer an effective way to manage these conditions. aquatherm blue is engineered for chilled- and process-water applications in data centres. Its PP-RCT material is resistant to corrosion, which supports long-term stability in temperature and flow. Fusion-welded joints create homogeneous, materially bonded connections, reducing leakage risk at critical points in the system. This robustness is particularly relevant where cooling must be maintained continuously and where downtimes are unacceptable. The system can be used for central chilled-water networks, rack-level cooling solutions, and the connection of heat exchangers in modern architectures. For more information, visit Cooling data centres with aquatherm pipe systems. For more from aquatherm, click here. This article is sponsored by aquatherm

Blueshift outlines thermal management for orbital data centres

US advanced materials company Blueshift has outlined a three-part thermal management approach for spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO), addressing the challenges posed by extreme temperature changes and increasingly powerful computing payloads. Presented at CAMX 2026, the approach treats thermal protection as an integral part of the spacecraft system. It focuses on moving internally generated heat to radiators for rejection at the highest practical temperature, controlling heat flow to protect temperature-sensitive components, and managing solar, Earth, and environmental exposure at the spacecraft surface. Blueshift reportedly has more than 20,000ft² (1,858m²) of its AeroZero Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) flying in LEO, alongside material testing and standards references including ASTM E595 and NASA-STD-6016. Spacecraft in LEO experience temperature swings from -180°C to +150°C between shadow and sunlight, with this cycle occurring 16 times a day. Computing payloads add to the challenge by generating substantial internal heat. Tim Burbey, co-founder and President of Blueshift, says thermal protection must be considered as part of the overall spacecraft design, regardless of vehicle type, noting, “Every spacecraft produces internal heat, and now we are seeing data centres produce 100 times more, forcing it to become a design driver.” Managing heat across spacecraft systems Blueshift says its AeroZero TPS materials can be used across the three areas of thermal management. Within the spacecraft, the material acts as a thermal break at brackets, joints, and other interfaces, helping to isolate batteries and temperature-sensitive components from hot electronics and coolant loops. This separation allows high-powered processors to determine the coolant loop temperature, enabling radiators to operate at higher temperatures and reject more heat per unit area. By separating hot and cold zones, the approach can also reduce radiator area and support smaller spacecraft thermal systems. In vacuum testing, Blueshift research found that AeroZero TPS had 19 times lower thermal conductivity and six times lower thermal diffusivity than standard polyimide tape. Thermal diffusivity determines how quickly temperature changes propagate through a thermal break, while the material is intended to buffer the temperature swings experienced every 90 minutes in LEO. In a modelled LEO scenario comparing thermal breaks, a solar cell mounted on a composite frame in sunlight ran almost 40°C cooler with AeroZero TPS than with standard tape. The comparison examined how thermal breaks could limit heat transfer between spacecraft structures and equipment. For exterior surfaces, Blueshift gives AeroZero TPS a solar absorptance-to-emittance ratio (α/ε) of 0.14, compared with 0.60 for uncoated Kapton. In illustrative steady-state calculations for a flat surface facing the Sun, the estimated surface temperature was -32°C (241 K) for AeroZero TPS and +73°C (346 K) for Kapton, a difference of 105°C. Tim concludes, “Supporting reliable, long-duration missions in increasingly demanding orbital environments is a key focus for Blueshift. Following CAMX, we look forward to further opportunities to showcase our AeroZero TPS portfolio and engage with spacecraft designers, engineers, and industry decision makers on how material innovation can support the next phase of commercial space development.”

DTGen acquires Realpower to expand critical power services

DTGen, a UK supplier of standby diesel generators and energy systems, has acquired Irish generator maintenance specialist Realpower, expanding its engineering capacity across the UK and Ireland and creating at least 10 new jobs. The acquisition by DCC Energy Ireland brings together DTGen’s 22 years of experience in standby power generation and project delivery with Realpower’s 16 years of generator maintenance expertise. The combined business has more than 110 employees, including 70 engineers, operating from DTGen’s locations in Glasgow, Bristol, and Northampton, alongside Realpower’s base in Moydrum, County Westmeath. The value of the acquisition has not been disclosed. The expanded business will provide services covering system design, installation, commissioning, maintenance, remote monitoring, and lifecycle support. DTGen expects the acquisition to increase its engineering capacity, geographical coverage, and emergency power support across both markets. DTGen has delivered projects across retail, financial services, healthcare, the public sector, and major infrastructure, including more than 50 data centre projects worldwide. The company will also draw on its European trading platform to support customers and projects across the continent. Its capabilities include those of PCS, a power controls specialist acquired around 18 months ago, which designs, builds, tests, and commissions power management systems. Realpower provides planned preventative maintenance, inspections, servicing, and emergency repairs for critical power infrastructure across Ireland. Expanded services for data centres and critical infrastructure Nigel Newton, Managing Director at DTGen, says, “Realpower has established itself as one of Ireland’s most respected maintenance providers, with service capabilities that complement DTGen’s generator project delivery expertise, making it an excellent addition to the DCC Energy Ireland and DTGen group. "With Farrell Spollen recently announced as Managing Director of Ireland, he will play a key role within the DTGen team in driving our growth ambitions and strengthening our presence in the Irish market. “For engineers and consultants working in high-demand environments, including data centres, the combined business offers practical engineering expertise, local service support, and the scale to help customers investing in generator systems choose a delivery partner with confidence.” Realpower’s customers will continue to receive support from its existing team, with access to the wider resources of the combined business under the leadership of the company's newly appointed Irish Managing Director, Farrell Spollen. Michael Tumulty, owner of Realpower, comments, “Joining forces with DTGen and being backed by DCC Energy Ireland is a positive step for Realpower. Our commitment to providing specialist support to organisations across Ireland will not change, and our customers will receive the same trusted service and expertise from our team. “Now strengthened by DTGen’s project experience, wider engineering capability, and the scale of DCC Energy Ireland, it creates an opportunity to continue supporting customers’ critical power needs and to grow the services we can offer in the years ahead.” Rob Flanagan, Commercial Director at DCC Energy Ireland, adds, “The acquisition of Realpower reflects DCC Energy Ireland’s continued investment in specialist energy businesses that support customers with critical infrastructure and resilience. “Alongside our fuels, power, and solar capabilities, our focus is on supporting businesses that deliver long-term value to customers, while ensuring they have the investment, backing, and expertise to develop further. This acquisition strengthens our ability to support customers across Ireland with dependable, future-focused energy solutions.” For more from DTGen, click here.

GF adds the Multi Control Valve to its liquid cooling portfolio

GF, a provider of piping systems for data centre cooling systems, has introduced a Multi Control Valve for direct liquid cooling, integrating flow control, sensing, and thermal energy metering. The product is designed to regulate coolant flow, monitor system conditions, and measure thermal energy distribution. The valve integrates multiple functions into a single polymer assembly and is designed for direct liquid cooling (DLC) systems. GF says the valve is up to 70% lighter and 50% more compact than conventional metal assemblies. It is intended for high-density direct-to-chip cooling systems, where rack power densities can exceed 100kW and changing AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads require adjustments to coolant flow. The Multi Control Valve combines a valve, an electronic actuator with a five-second fail-safe response, and five sensors measuring volumetric flow, pressure, and temperature. Ultrasonic flow measurement and ceramic pressure sensors enable real-time calculations of differential pressure, temperature variation, and thermal energy distribution. The valve body uses polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) and other engineered polymers. According to GF, the design reduces weight and avoids issues associated with internal scaling and fluid contamination in metal assemblies. It also features an IP68-rated housing, a single-cable layout, and communication interfaces including IO-Link, Modbus RTU, and BACnet MS/TP. Connection options include PP-H spigots and stainless steel tri-clamps. Integrated monitoring and flow control GF participates in the Open Compute Project (OCP) community as an OCP Solution Provider. The company says the valve's polymer fluid pathway is designed to help maintain coolant integrity, whilst its monitoring and dynamic flow balancing capabilities support consistent coolant distribution across racks. Charles Freda, Global Head of Data Centers at GF, comments, “With the launch of the Multi Control Valve, we are providing the means to connect individual rack precision to macro-level infrastructure efficiency. “By enabling rapid, intelligent flow circuit modulation to instantly match thermal and hydronic load conditions, we empower data centre operators to slash parasitic mechanical losses, maintain perfect chip-level thermal stability, and actively optimise their operational efficiency.” The valve completes GF's LiquidCore portfolio, which includes chiller-to-chip fluid distribution, off-site prefabrication, PROGEF PP-H piping, polymer valves and automation equipment, custom SYGEF PVDF in-rack manifolds, and the Quick Connect Valve 700 for rack integration. For more from GF, click here.

ABB, ETM develop direct-drive motors for data centre cooling

ABB, a multinational corporation specialising in industrial automation and electrification products, has expanded its partnership with Electric Torque Machines (ETM), a subsidiary of Graco, to develop and commercialise motors using ETM’s patented Transverse Flux Motor (TFM) technology for data centre cooling. TFM technology generates high torque at low speeds, making it suitable for large cooling fans, pumps, and heat rejection towers used in high-density data centres. The motors use a direct-drive architecture intended to reduce mechanical complexity, energy losses, noise, and maintenance requirements, whilst lowering lifetime ownership costs. Combined with ABB’s variable speed drives and motor portfolio, the technology is intended to provide additional options for cooling infrastructure. Meeting growing cooling demands Justin McMahon, EVP, Global Business Line, NEMA Motors Division at ABB, says, “As AI reshapes data centre design, operators are looking for cooling solutions that deliver more with less: less energy, less complexity, and less downtime. Our expanded partnership with ETM brings a differentiated motor technology that addresses exactly these needs.” Mark Sheahan, Chief Executive Officer of Graco, adds, “Our partnership with ABB is the right path to bringing Transverse Flux Motor to the data centre market at scale. ABB’s global reach and deep expertise in electrification make it an ideal partner to commercialise this technology in applications where reliability and efficiency matter most.” The partnership comes as data centre electricity demand increases alongside AI infrastructure expansion. The release cites global data centre electricity demand growth of 17% in 2025, with AI-focused facilities growing by 50%. The TFM technology will complement ABB’s existing portfolio of high-efficiency motors, ultra-low harmonic variable speed drives, and liquid cooling experience, as operators seek cooling systems designed for continuous operation and higher heat loads. The motors will be marketed under the ABB brand. For more from ABB, click here.

JSM completes 110kV substation at Berlin data centre

JSM Services, part of utility infrastructure provider JSM Group, has completed the structural works on a 110kV substation at maincubes’ mainHub data centre campus in Nauen, near Berlin, six months after construction began. The topping-out ceremony took place on 13 October and marks progress on the power infrastructure for the campus. As general contractor, JSM is delivering the 200MVA substation and an approximately 6km high-voltage cable route connecting the campus to the Wustermark substation. The project is JSM’s first in Germany. Construction began at the end of February, but ground investigations found topsoil up to 3m deep, compared with the expected 1m. Around 4,200m³ of soil was replaced to provide a secure foundation. During summer temperatures of up to 41°C, concrete pours were scheduled for the early hours to maintain progress. The substation incorporates around 250 tonnes of structural steel embedded in concrete and approximately 3,500m² of precast walls and ceilings. An 11m-span ceiling in the central block was lifted into place in a single day. Peter Östlund (pictured above), Managing Director of JSM Services, says, “Today, there is no longer a wooden roof truss here, but concrete and steel. Yet, the essence of a topping-out ceremony remains the same: it is a celebration of gratitude towards the people who built it. "10 design firms, 14 companies, and even more suppliers have worked together on this building. Despite its comparatively small size, it is highly complex, and every one of them has played their part in getting us here.” Cable route works progress in parallel The substation will house four transformers, each weighing just under 70 tonnes. The installation of building services is scheduled to begin at the end of October, followed by the delivery of the transformers. Work on the cable route is progressing across four construction phases. More than 27km of protective conduit has been laid, around 14,000m³ of cable trench excavated, and more than 3,000 tonnes of asphalt removed. 10 horizontal boreholes are planned to cross the L161 and B5 roads. The project has also involved managing archaeological finds, crossing existing water and gas pipes and other utilities, and protecting trees and wildlife. JSM reports that around 18,000 working hours have been completed at the substation and a further 6,200 on the cable route, totalling approximately 24,000 hours without an accident resulting in lost time or serious injury. Thomas Wacker, Chief Development Officer at maincubes, comments, “The topping-out of the substation marks an important milestone in the development of mainHub Berlin and brings us one step closer to delivering the infrastructure needed to support the campus. "A reliable power supply is fundamental to the long-term success of any data centre, and we are pleased to see this critical element taking shape on schedule. The progress achieved in just six months is a testament to the commitment and expertise of everyone involved. "We look forward to the next phase as we continue to bring our vision for mainHub Berlin to life.” The Nauen development expands maincubes’ presence in the Berlin region, building on the operation of its existing BER01 data centre. For more from JSM, click here.

Pure DC completes final transformer installation at LON01

Pure Data Centres Group (Pure DC), a designer, developer, and operator of hyperscale data centres, has installed the third and final power transformer at its 90MW LON01 data centre campus in North London, bringing the substation’s total capacity to 150MVA. The 75MVA transformer, manufactured by Hitachi, will supply power to the campus’s B1 and B2 buildings. Energisation is planned for later this month, completing the dedicated power system serving the campus. LON01 is being developed to support cloud computing and AI inference workloads, using a closed-loop liquid cooling system designed for high-density computing. Specialist lifting system overcomes site constraints Installing the transformer presented a logistical challenge because restricted space around the live substation prevented the use of a conventional 500-tonne crane. The project team instead designed and deployed a specialist gantry system with a lifting capacity of 1,000 tonnes to move the transformer into position. The lift took four hours and involved Pure DC’s project team, MGE Group, logistics partners, and specialist suppliers. The operation reportedly followed extensive preparation, including route planning, road closures, and local authority approvals. The installation completed an 18-month programme that began with manufacturing in Colombia in March 2025. Following factory testing in June 2026, the transformer was transported by sea to the UK before being delivered to the campus. Once B2 is complete, the building will feature a living wall comprising more than 750,000 plants. Pure DC says the installation is intended to reduce noise and air pollution and encourage biodiversity, including insects and birds, near Brent Reservoir’s Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). For more from Pure DC, click here.