AI data centers adopt advanced liquid cooling
How will the data centers powering artificial intelligence stay cool?
Could liquid cooling be the key to the “AI Factories of the Future”?
The race for AI processing power is not won solely with faster chips—it also requires data centers capable of handling massive energy demands without faltering. Schneider Electric has unveiled its portfolio of liquid cooling solutions designed to keep high-density, hyperscale, and colocation data centers operational, meeting the growing demands of the AI Factories of the Future.
Large-Scale Solutions
These solutions, available globally, aim to reliably address the intensive power and GPU processing requirements at scale. The portfolio includes liquid and air-based cooling systems such as CDUs, RDHx, HDUs, dynamic cold plates, chillers, as well as specialized software and services.
This marks the first comprehensive offering since the company acquired a majority stake in Motivair in February 2025. The industry is already surpassing densities of 140 kW per rack and preparing for future loads that could reach 1 MW or more.
As AI chips increase in power and density, data centers require liquid cooling systems capable of managing these loads while ensuring operational continuity with maximum efficiency. Cooling can account for up to 40% of a data center’s total energy consumption, and direct liquid cooling is emerging as an alternative up to 3,000 times more effective than air cooling by capturing heat directly at the chip.
Portfolio and Capabilities
With this portfolio launch, both companies provide data center operators with solutions designed not only to meet current requirements but also to anticipate the global demands of next-generation digital infrastructure.
Comprehensive liquid cooling portfolio for AI data centers.
These liquid and air-based solutions include megawatt-class Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs), ChilledDoor® rear-door heat exchangers, Dynamic® Cold Plates, which provide precise thermal control for AI racks exceeding 100 kW.
Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs): Developed in collaboration with silicon manufacturers, they scale from 105 kW to 2.5 MW. They currently support the thermal performance of six of the world’s ten most powerful supercomputers and are certified for the latest NVIDIA hardware, with capacity to accommodate future rack densities.
ChilledDoor® Rear-Door Heat Exchanger: Cools rack densities up to 75 kW, ideal for high-consumption GPUs, and operates in any HPC environment regardless of rack brand.
Heat Dissipation Unit (HDU™): Motivair’s HDU can reject up to 100 kilowatts of heat in a 600-millimeter-wide space, making it suitable for environments with space constraints and high processing density.
Chillers and TCS Systems: These chillers can save millions of gallons of water annually per megawatt of cooling and, according to internal tests, can improve efficiency by up to 20% compared to some existing solutions.
EcoStruxure Software: Enables optimal thermal management, performance, and efficiency in critical data centers.
Services: Over a decade of deployment and maintenance experience, with trained technicians in all regions and more than 600 technicians and EcoXpert partners trained worldwide.
Production and Testing
The portfolio is supported by global manufacturing and supply chain capabilities, technical expertise, and rigorous testing:
Global Supply Chain: New plant in Buffalo, New York, and expansions in Italy and India, tripling production and reducing lead times.
Rigorous Testing: Each unit is tested to validate thermal and mechanical performance, ensuring cleanliness and minimizing on-site issues.
As Andrew Bradner, Senior Vice President of the Cooling Business at Schneider Electric, explains:
“AI is the next technological revolution, and it has undoubtedly made liquid cooling a strategic imperative for data centers and AI Factories. By combining our multi-domain expertise with Motivair, we are charting a new frontier in accelerated computing with an unmatched liquid cooling portfolio that delivers scale, production, and global reach, along with a strong commitment to rigorously test and validate every solution we provide, mitigating risks and giving our customers peace of mind.”
Meanwhile, Olga Yashkova, Research Manager for Enterprise Workloads and Datacenter Infrastructure at IDC, notes:
“Liquid cooling has evolved from a performance enhancer to a core component of modern high-density computing environments. Schneider Electric’s acquisition of Motivair significantly strengthens its position in data center power, electrical, and cooling infrastructure. As a single provider capable of designing and delivering all critical infrastructure, power, and cooling systems, Schneider Electric’s approach simplifies deployment and reduces operational complexity for AI-driven data centers.”
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