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Panasonic Corporation has announced that its Heating & Ventilation A/C Company (hereinafter referred to as Panasonic) is accepting orders in the European market for two models of Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs) for generative AI data centers (400kW and 800kW), as well as two models of free-cooling chillers (800kW and 1,200kW). In addition, Panasonic is developing CDUs with capacities of 1,200kW and above.
Data center construction is accelerating rapidly around the world. To prevent IT rack failures and system downtime, data centers require cooling systems capable of removing substantial heat generated during operation. Traditionally, the mainstream approach has been air-cooling which produces cold air by using chilled water supplied by chillers1. However, in recent years, generative AI data centers have begun to face increasing challenges due to the significant rise in heat output from high-performance semiconductor GPU chips responsible for advanced computational processing. To maintain performance and ensure stable operation while minimizing electrical load associated with cooling, there is growing demand for high-efficiency liquid cooling particularly in hyperscalers2 and colocation data centers3.
In 2023, Panasonic acquired Tecnair S.p.A4, an Italy-based company that manufactures Close Control Air-Conditioning Units (CCUs) essential for air-cooling and has been expanding its cooling systems business for data centers in Europe. This time, the company has developed CDUs that perform heat exchange and distribute coolant by using chilled water supplied by chillers. With the addition of CDUs, Panasonic can now offer solutions that combine traditional air-cooling with high-efficiency liquid cooling systems. This enables significant power savings and reduces the overall system footprint required to achieve the same cooling capacity, contributing to space optimization in data centers.
Furthermore, targeting small to medium scale facilities such as edge data centers5, Panasonic has developed its first chillers designed for data centers equipped with a free-cooling function that utilizes low outdoor temperatures (up to 10°C) to generate chilled water, delivering high energy efficiency. In addition, by adopting the low-GWP refrigerant R1234ze(E) (GWP: 1), the chillers contribute to reducing environmental impact.
More information about Panasonic Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs) for generative AI data centers (400kW and 800kW)
More information about free-cooling chillers (800kW and 1,200kW) from Panasonic