Schneider Electric, the French electrical equipment giant, is collaborating with Nvidia to create advanced cooling systems for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. These systems will support Nvidia’s flagship servers, set to launch early next year, which feature 72 high-powered AI chips each. The collaboration, announced on Wednesday, reflects the growing demand for efficient data center solutions to accommodate the next generation of AI hardware.
The new servers, requiring up to 132 kilowatts of power per rack, will rely on liquid cooling to function effectively. Nvidia’s decision to adopt liquid cooling for its most powerful chips has driven significant investment in data center upgrades and construction to meet these needs. Schneider is designing modular cooling systems tailored to different configurations, depending on the number of Nvidia servers and their power consumption. These designs will be offered to cloud providers and data center operators.
Aparna Prabhakar, Schneider’s senior vice president of the secure power division, highlighted the complexity of the partnership. “We take care of everything outside the servers, and Nvidia is working on what’s inside the server,” she explained, emphasizing the extensive engineering efforts involved.
This partnership aligns with Schneider’s broader strategy to expand its presence in the AI data center sector. In 2023, Schneider also secured a $3 billion deal with Compass Datacenters to provide electrical equipment over five years. The company’s recent leadership change further underscores its focus on scaling innovation in a rapidly evolving market.
The financial terms of the agreement with Nvidia were not disclosed. However, the collaboration signals a strategic push to address the unique challenges posed by AI-driven workloads, ensuring optimized performance and energy efficiency.
