AI Boom Drives Demand for More Advanced Data Centre Cooling Technology

Fri, 22 May 2026, 23:56 WIB | By Reynaldi Andrian Pamungkas | Source: MEDIA_INDONESIA | Infrastructure

Global growth in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and the acceleration of digital transformation is beginning to reshape data centre infrastructure requirements worldwide, including in Indonesia. Amid rising AI compute needs, liquid cooling technology is seen as increasingly important to maintain stability and operational efficiency for next-generation data centres.

Unlike conventional computing systems, AI workloads rely on graphics processing units (GPUs) and high-performance computing, producing much higher rack density. This increases heat generation, requiring more precise cooling systems.

Schneider Electric Indonesia’s Business VP Data Centre, Ellya Cen, said AI development has ushered data centres into a new phase with more complex power and cooling needs.

“AI is ushering data centres into a new era. Previously, infrastructure was largely measured by room capacity and connectivity; now it must cope with higher power demands, more intense heat, and uptime requirements that are increasingly critical,” she said in a press release received on Friday (22 May).

She added that AI development is also altering approaches to design and operation of data centres, including cooling technology selection.

“Projected IT load growth that significantly rises to 2031 shows that AI-ready data centre preparedness is becoming more urgent,” she noted.

Schneider Electric notes global data centre capacity needs are expected to grow up to fourfold compared with several years ago. In Indonesia, digital economy growth and heavy uptake of digital services are expected to push up the national data centre infrastructure needs.

This is reflected in the projection that Indonesia’s IT load will rise from around 1,717 MW in 2026 to 4,145 MW in 2031. The figure indicates a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.27%.

Increased compute demands pose new challenges for data centre operators, particularly in terms of power consumption, heat management, system reliability, and energy efficiency.

In the forum, Schneider Electric explained that cooling systems for data centres are moving from conventional water cooling toward hybrid cooling that combines air cooling and liquid cooling.

Liquid cooling technology is seen as more effective at removing heat in high-density computing environments, while also helping boost energy efficiency and operational scalability.

Schneider Electric Indonesia System & Architecture Engineer Rifa Hasanah said the AI-ready data centre infrastructure design requires comprehensive integration from power systems, cooling, rack architecture, to monitoring software.

“This approach aims to ensure stable compute performance while minimising operational risks such as thermal throttling, rising energy consumption, and potential service disruptions,” she said.

Beyond technical challenges, the development of AI-based data centres increasingly relates to sustainability and energy efficiency. Globally, Schneider Electric aims to help customers save or redirect energy consumption by up to 1,500 terawatt-hours (TWh) and avoid cumulative carbon emissions of 1.5 billion tonnes between 2018 and 2030.

Ellya believes AI transformation will continue to reshape the digital infrastructure landscape in coming years, including driving adoption of more adaptive cooling technologies.

“Through our end-to-end portfolio covering power, cooling, racks, and software management, we want to assist data centre operators in building infrastructure that is more efficient, reliable, and capable of sustaining AI growth,” she added. (Fal)

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