National standard for data center liquid cooling released, liquid cooling concept stocks surge

Blackstone-backed data centre operator AirTrunk plans to invest $1 billion to expand its TOK1 campus in Inzai, Japan, as demand for infrastructure to support artificial intelligence workloads grows. The investment will support the deployment of liquid-cooling technology for AI workloads at TOK1, which has more than 300 megawatts of capacity. AirTrunk CEO Robin Khuda said geopolitical factors are driving more customers to Japan as a North Asian hub. Khuda also said AI infrastructure deployment is becoming more difficult in the U.S. and is already challenging in Europe, making Asia a major beneficiary.

Digital Realty announced the commencement of construction of KIX15, a new 24 megawatt data center at its KIX Campus in Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The facility is being developed by MC Digital Realty, Digital Realty's 50/50 joint venture in Japan with Mitsubishi Corporation, and is scheduled to commence operations in the fourth quarter of 2028. KIX15 will be the fifth data center at the KIX Campus and, upon completion, will bring MCDR's Japan portfolio to 10 data centers representing approximately 220 MW of aggregate IT capacity. The expansion follows the opening earlier this year of the NRT14 Data Center in Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture, one of the first facilities in Japan to achieve the DGX-Ready Data Center certification. KIX15 is a key component of MCDR's Kansai AI Infrastructure Co-Creation Project and is designed to support hybrid air- and liquid-cooling technologies for hyperscalers, cloud service providers and companies deploying AI infrastructure.

Tutor Perini Corporation announced that its subsidiary Fisk Electric Company has been awarded an electrical services contract worth approximately $24 million for a confidential data center customer in Houston, Texas. Fisk's scope covers prefabrication and assembly of modular containment systems and related electrical infrastructure, including liquid-cooled components and piping, for a new ground-up data center. Those units will be built at Fisk's new 75,000-square-foot prefabrication and manufacturing facility in Houston, which the company says positions it to serve a fast-growing prefabrication market driven by a nationwide shortage of electricians. Electrical construction work is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, with substantial completion anticipated in the first quarter of 2027. The contract value will be reflected in Tutor Perini's backlog for the third quarter of 2026.

Navitas Semiconductor and Microchip Technology have collaborated on an 800V DC-to-6V DC reference design for AI data center rack power applications, aligned with the Open Compute Project 800V DC standard. The platform combines Microchip's dsPIC33AK Digital Signal Controllers, TA100 CryptoAuthentication device and Navitas' GaNFast gallium nitride power devices, with the power delivery board powered by 16 NV6034, 650 V, 17 mΩ GaNFast FETs in a stacked half-bridge topology. The design targets up to 96% peak efficiency at full load with 1 MHz switching frequency, enabling a power density of 2,100 W/in³, and is approximately 20% thinner than a mobile phone, allowing close integration with the GPU board. Direct conversion from 800V DC to 6V DC combines both the 800V DC to 50V DC and 50V DC to 6V DC conversion stages into one converter for higher end-to-end efficiency. The solution will be showcased at Microchip's OCP Event taking place October 12–15, 2026, in San Jose, California, and will be supported with a reference board, software and supporting documentation.

MagPro, also known as Nanjing Xipu Technology Co., Ltd., a joint venture between CIGU Technology Corp. Ltd. and EPG Data Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., announced the launch of the AeroLev 1850, a 1.85-megawatt magnetic-bearing air-cooled chiller platform that supports operation at temperatures up to 45°C and is designed for AI data centers in markets with hot, humid climates and limited water resources, such as Thailand. At its core is an air-cooled magnetic-bearing compressor with an isentropic efficiency of up to 87%, while a patented condenser increases refrigerant subcooling by more than 3°C. These technologies improve overall energy efficiency by up to 40%, reduce failure rates by up to 8% compared with conventional oil-lubricated compressors, and cut maintenance costs by up to 10% compared with traditional chillers. General Manager William Wu said that as AI drives rising demand for computing power, operators need cooling infrastructure that can scale without increasing dependence on water resources. Alik Wan, founder and chairman of EPG Data Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., said MagPro is a significant step in the company's global cooling technology strategy.

Schneider Electric, alongside partners Wärtsilä and Stanley Consultants, introduced a "Generator-to-Chip" power approach and unveiled software-defined medium-voltage switchgear and advanced cooling solutions for AI-driven data centers in late September 2026. The company also launched cybersecurity-focused automation for water utilities and a new decarbonization allyship with Lenovo's 360 Circle community. The software-defined medium-voltage switchgear is being deployed in AI-oriented data centers, including an Equinix pilot. Schneider Electric's narrative projects €56.4 billion revenue and €8.3 billion earnings by 2029, requiring 10.3% yearly revenue growth and a €3.6 billion earnings increase from €4.7 billion today. The forecasts yield a €325.04 fair value, a 7% upside to its current price.