This partner of Nvidia can aid AI data centers in cutting energy usage by 50%.
The HyperCube employs advanced immersion cooling technology to reduce energy consumption.
Sustainable Metal Cloud
The surge in artificial intelligence demands more potent processors and cooling energy for data centers. Sustainable Metal Cloud, a data center company, seizes this opportunity with its “sustainable AI factories” using HyperCubes in Singapore and Australia. These HyperCubes house servers equipped with Nvidia processors submerged in a synthetic oil, polyalphaolefin, which efficiently dissipates heat compared to traditional air cooling. This platform claims to slash energy usage by up to 50%.
“It supports high-density hosting for GPUs and platforms like [Nvidia’s] Grace Blackwell,” mentioned Tim Rosenfield, Sustainable Metal Cloud’s co-founder and co-CEO. The company touts its immersion cooling tech as 28% cheaper to install than other liquid-based solutions. HyperCubes are adaptable to any data center and easily deployed in unused spaces.
“Most data centers are not yet prepared for any liquid cooling, be it immersion or direct chip cooling. The market is exploring varied approaches to adopt this technology,” Rosenfield remarked.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang lauded Supermicro’s direct liquid-cooling tech, emphasizing energy savings and cost reduction in AI data centers.
Liquid cooling gaining momentum
Tech firms are increasingly exploring liquid cooling for data centers due to escalating performance demands and overheating risks. Giordano Albertazzi, Vertiv’s CEO, noted that liquid-cooling adoption could hasten by 2024. Vertiv offers hybrid air- and liquid-cooling along with fully liquid-cooled data centers.
Charles Liang, Supermicro’s CEO, emphasized the power efficiency of liquid cooling for enhanced performance, lower pollution, and reduced energy expenses. Challenges persist in deploying liquid cooling, with Rosenfield highlighting the readiness gap in most data centers for this technology.
“Despite the hype around liquid cooling, conventional air cooling remains prevalent and will persist even in high-density AI data centers,” stated Albertazzi.
The transformative impact of AI has spurred a surge in data center demand. Countries like Singapore are pushing for “green” data centers to support their AI initiatives, with commitments exceeding 500 million Singapore dollars. Sustainable Metal Cloud, endorsed by Nvidia and Deloitte, secures funding from major investors and plans to expand beyond Singapore.
Governments and corporations are racing to leverage AI’s impact, amplifying the need for data centers. Singapore has committed significant funding to eco-friendly data centers supporting its AI advancements. Sustainable Metal Cloud, backed by major investors, is ramping up its data center operations with substantial financial backing reported to be in the millions.
