Siemens, Rittal partner on data centre power

Author: Joe Peck

German multinational technology company Siemens and Rittal, a German manufacturer of industrial enclosures, IT racks, and climate control systems, have formed a partnership to develop power distribution infrastructure for data centres, targeting increasing demands from AI workloads.

The collaboration focuses on standardised systems designed to support higher rack power densities, improve deployment speed, and streamline data centre construction.

Power demands in AI environments are continuing to rise, with rack densities already exceeding 100 kW and expected to increase further over the coming years. The companies aim to address these requirements through updated approaches to power distribution, cooling, and heat management.

Focus on scalable power infrastructure

One of the first developments from the partnership is a sidecar power system, installed within the white space of a data centre. The system uses a dedicated power rack to supply server racks, supporting a modular and scalable approach to power delivery.

The design aligns with Open Compute Project standards and is intended to simplify deployment while maintaining operational reliability.

“To enable the rapid growth of AI, we need smart, reliable, and scalable power supply solutions for data centres and we need them quickly,” comments Andreas Matthé, CEO Electrical Products at Siemens Smart Infrastructure.

Further joint work includes the development of standardised low-voltage distribution systems for modular and containerised data centres, alongside measures aimed at improving operational and personnel safety.

The partnership builds on existing collaboration between Siemens and the Friedhelm Loh Group, Rittal’s parent company, and is expected to expand into additional applications beyond data centres.

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