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Google in talks with China’s Envicool, others to buy data centre cooling systems

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Alphabet’s Google is in talks with Envicool and other Chinese firms ​about buying liquid cooling equipment for data centres, according to people with knowledge of a visit to China ‌by one of the United States (US) firm’s procurement team
Liquid cooling systems, which circulate water or other liquid over or around equipment, have become critical in AI data centers as the high-density computing generates more heat than a traditional air cooling system can handle.
The visit by the team from Google’s Taiwan ​operations this month reflects tight supply of parts for such systems, the sources said. During the visit, Google’s team ​has met with Envicool, said two of three sources, who were not authorised to speak to media ⁠and declined to be identified. The team also plans to meet with at least one other company, according to a ​separate source. Neither Google nor Shenzhen-based Envicool replied to Reuters requests for comment.
The talks highlight how the global race to build AI ​data centre infrastructure has tightened supply of not just advanced chips but also lower-value equipment, as well as the growing role of Chinese suppliers in global data centre growth despite heightened US-Sino tensions.
–Reuters–