ABB has revealed plans to advance the development of gigawatt-scale, next-generation data centres in partnership with NVIDIA. This joint effort aims to innovate cutting-edge power solutions, facilitating enhanced efficiency and scalability to accommodate future AI workloads.
The venture centres on designing and implementing 800 VDC power architecture for 1 megawatt server racks, integral to NVIDIA's technological strategies. Meeting this capacity efficiently mandates state-of-the-art developments in power distribution methodologies and architectures. Emerging power configurations envisage utilising medium voltage (MV) uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems linked with direct current (DC) power distribution within server rooms, powered by solid-state power electronics.
Giampiero Frisio, President of ABB Electrification, noted the pivotal role ABB plays, stating that they are at the forefront of developing new power distribution technologies crucial for future data centres. Their focus includes groundbreaking UPS systems, DC distribution, and solid-state electronics, all crucial for meeting the soaring power demands imposed by AI advancements.
Global projections suggest an upsurge in data centre demand, expected to climb from 80GW in 2024 to approximately 220GW by 2030. This growth, anticipated to bring over $1 trillion in capital expenditure, highlights AI-driven requirements, projected to constitute nearly 70% of this expansion.
NVIDIA's Dion Harris remarked on the necessity of innovative power distribution strategies in response to burgeoning AI needs, underscoring the importance of ABB and NVIDIA's collaborative efforts in facilitating 800V architectures necessary for the high-density AI infrastructure crucial for AI's next chapters.
ABB boasts a comprehensive array of solutions tailored for data centres, comprising intelligent power distribution systems, backup power solutions, and digital monitoring technologies. This suite ensures sustained operations and maximises energy efficiency for AI-driven servers. Moreover, some 40% of ABB’s research initiatives in electrification are pivotal for the future of data centre technologies, spanning electrical architectures, protection devices, DC distribution, and cooling solutions.
Recent innovations include ABB’s HiPerGuard, the inaugural solid-state MV UPS, pivotal in elevating data centres’ power density and energy efficiency. Similarly, ABB’s SACE Infinitus, the world’s first IEC-certified solid-state circuit breaker, is engineered to provide indispensable speed and control, thereby making direct current distribution viable.
