The next evolutionary stage for data centres, AI factories, is dependent on several pillars, with a critical element being cooling systems. At digital infrastructure provider Vertiv’s annual Vertiv Week 2025 conference last week in Tognana, Italy, the company revealed its answer to this demand: the Vertiv CoolCenter Immersion cooling system.
The product supports AI and high-performance computing (HPC) environments that are ready to maximise the superior thermal properties of liquid cooling. The system is available in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
Vertiv says immersion cooling submerges entire servers in a dielectric liquid, providing efficient and uniform heat removal across all components, where power densities and thermal loads exceed the limits of traditional air-cooling methods. According to the company, Vertiv CoolCenter Immersion serves as a complete liquid-cooling architecture. It aims to enable reliable heat removal for dense compute ranging from 25kW to 240kW per system.
“There is a change in technology because we want to cool a particular processor, the GPU, at the source,” said Sam Bainborough, VP of Vertiv EMEA for thermal business, during a panel discussion at Vertiv Week. “We want to give the most efficient technology to do that, but also want to make it as future proof as possible.”
He referenced an earlier keynote by Carlo Ruiz, Nvidia EMEA VP for AI solutions and operations, who said that data centre racks are on their way to reaching 1MW. These racks are the server units that house AI hardware, and their rising power density reflects the massive computing demands of modern systems.
Bainborough said Vertiv is designing the infrastructure not only to support this progression but also to ensure the technology is adaptable into the future.
He said: “Immersion cooling is playing an increasingly important role as AI and HPC deployments push thermal limits far beyond what conventional systems can handle.”
“With the Vertiv CoolCenter Immersion, we’re applying decades of liquid-cooling expertise to deliver fully engineered systems that handle extreme heat densities safely and efficiently, giving operators a practical path to scale AI infrastructure without compromising reliability or serviceability.”
The Vertiv CoolCenter Immersion is available in different configurations, including self-contained and multi-tank options. Each system aims to deliver precise temperature control and consistent thermal performance. It is available in different configurations, including an internal or external liquid tank, coolant distribution unit (CDU), temperature sensors, variable-speed pumps, and fluid piping.
Vertiv says dual power supplies and redundant pumps provide high cooling availability, while integrated monitoring sensors, a 9-inch touchscreen, and building management system (BMS) connectivity simplify operation and system visibility. The system is designed to enable heat reuse opportunities, aiming to support more efficient thermal management strategies across facilities and aligning with broader energy-efficiency objectives.
Vertiv Liquid Cooling Services features system design, installation, maintenance, training, and lifecycle optimisation. It aims to help customers evaluate and deploy the most effective liquid-cooling architectures. Supported systems include rear-door heat exchangers, direct-to-chip liquid cooling, and immersion cooling, enabling reliable, scalable, and efficient thermal management for AI, HPC, and other high-density computing environments.
*Jason Bannier is a data analyst at World Wide Worx and deputy editor of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky at @jas2bann.