CEL Critical Power Moves Into US Data Centre Manufacturing

CEL Critical Power has announced the opening of its first manufacturing facility in the US as part of a US$40m investment, marking a key move in the company's global expansion strategy. 

Headquartered in Ireland, the company provides switchgear and custom power solutions tailored to the global data centre industry. 

The new facility, based in Williamsburg, Virginia, adds 400,000sq ft of manufacturing space, bringing CEL Critical Power's global footprint to over 500,000sq ft.

Operational since June 2025, the Virginia site plays a central role in meeting rising demand from hyperscale and enterprise data centre customers in the US: the world’s largest and fastest-growing market for AI and cloud infrastructure.

CEL Critical Power expands into the US market

CEL Critical Power's expansion aligns with its plan to generate US$500m in annual revenue by 2030. Growth is supported by existing operations in Ireland and the ability to deploy infrastructure globally.

As part of the site launch, CEL Critical Power has committed to creating over 250 skilled roles in the next 12 months, increasing to 500 by 2030.

These positions span research and development, engineering, manufacturing, quality assurance, logistics, testing and site services to support AI and cloud projects at scale.

Niall McFadden, Group CEO of CEL Critical Power, says: "The opening of our first manufacturing facility in the US is an important step for our ambitious growth strategy in CEL Critical Power. We have listened closely to our customers and understand their need for quality partners, who can scale with them in the US. 

"This strategic expansion represents a major capital commitment of US$40m for CEL Critical Power and demonstrates our long-term commitment to supporting those customers in their largest and fastest-growing market, the United States.

"The new facility in Virginia brings our overall production capacity to more than 500,000 sq ft worldwide, enabling CEL Critical Power to meet long-term programme demand from leading data centre customers.

"Thanks to the support of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) and partnering with the Department of Defense SkillBridge programme and Naval Station Norfolk, CEL Critical Power plans to create up to 500 highly skilled jobs in Virginia by 2030. We look forward to many years of continued growth and development in Virginia at an exceptionally exciting time in the Data Centre industry."

Supporting AI and Neo-Cloud workloads

CEL Critical Power specialises in designing and producing PDUs (power distribution units), RPPs (remote power panels) and switchgear systems. 

These are vital components for the operation of data centres, helping distribute and manage electrical power with reliability and speed. The company delivers these solutions using a design-for-manufacture approach, with a focus on meeting customer needs from concept to delivery.

This approach supports the operational requirements of AI compute workloads, where high power density, continuous availability and futureproof designs are essential. 

AI applications demand predictable power performance and CEL Critical Power aims to meet that demand with custom solutions delivered at speed and at scale.

Alan McCartney, Chief Sales Officer of CEL Critical Power, says: "As a designer and manufacturer of custom power solutions for the global data centre industry, CEL Critical Power is expanding manufacturing capacity to meet growing demand from customers investing in AI and cloud infrastructure.

"With our design-for-manufacture philosophy, we actively work to understand the specific technical, commercial and schedule requirements of our customers, allowing us to design custom power solutions, which we have the capacity to deploy at scale. 

"Our solutions are futureproofed to facilitate the emerging Neo-Cloud sector and to protect the compute workloads of next generation AI technology being developed by companies such as Nvidia."

Tapping into regional talent and support

The new Virginia facility is supported by the VEDP, along with registration in the US Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge programme. 

This initiative offers military veterans and active-duty service members opportunities to transition into civilian roles within the technology and engineering sectors. Through its involvement, CEL Critical Power gains access to a pipeline of technical talent while supporting regional employment efforts.

The company’s partnership with Naval Station Norfolk and regional alliances aims to build long-term career paths within the technology sector, strengthening its commitment to local communities and infrastructure development.

Graham Carr, Vice President of Sales for North America at CEL Critical Power, says: "CEL Critical Power is proud to invest in Virginia, partnering with VEDP, the DoD SkillBridge program and Naval Station Norfolk to create meaningful career pathways for military veterans, while strengthening the local economy and contributing to the Commonwealth’s thriving technology sector. 

"Virginia consistently ranks among the top locations for business in the USA, offering a great supply chain ecosystem, excellent infrastructure and a large pool of technical talent."