This Week's Top Five Stories in the Data Centre Industry

Dow Launches Liquid Cooling Support Network for Data Centres

Dow has launched the Dow Coolant Care Network, a new service model designed to support data centre operators managing direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems for AI and high-density computing environments.

The initiative focuses on simplifying coolant management for operators using DOWFROST LC and DOWFROST HD Heat Transfer Fluids, bringing together fluid supply, testing, technical analysis and mitigation support through a coordinated framework.

The launch comes as hyperscale and high-performance computing facilities continue to scale infrastructure for AI, cloud computing and dense compute workloads.

Inside Digital Realty's New Data Centre in Barcelona

Barcelona is fast becoming one of Europe’s most closely watched digital infrastructure markets.

Digital Realty is planting its flag firmly in the city with the launch of BCN1, its first data centre in Barcelona and the latest addition to its growing Iberian footprint.

Located in the Sant Adrià de Besòs innovation district, the facility is designed to support the region’s growing role as a connectivity bridge between Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.

For Digital Realty, the opening is a strategic move to strengthen Barcelona’s status as a Mediterranean interconnection hub at a time when AI-driven demand for capacity and low-latency connectivity is accelerating.

Blackstone Commits $5bn to New AI Cloud Company with Google

The race to secure AI compute capacity has reached another level, with Blackstone and Google teaming up to launch a dedicated US data centre business built on Google Cloud’s custom AI chips.

Blackstone is investing an initial US$5bn equity commitment through funds managed by the company, with the first 500MW of capacity expected online in 2027.

Google will supply the hardware, software and operational support behind the platform. This includes its TPUs, also known as tensor processing units, which are custom chips purpose-built for AI.

The new joint venture aims to offer compute-as-a-service infrastructure for organisations running demanding AI and high-performance computing workloads.

Why Liquid Cooling Doesn’t Mean High Data Centre Water Use

Liquid cooling does not mean water use. 

“We do not need to consume water to operate data centres,” said Tuan Hoang, Head of Cooling Technology and Product Development at Schneider Electric, to a room full of journalists in Buffalo, New York, as part of the Schneider Electric & TeraWulf Global Press Event.

His comments address a wave of recent investigative reports highlighting the water footprints of Gen AI data centres, which have raised public concern over localised water scarcity. 

“Zero water is needed to cool AI data centres,” Tuan said. “Liquid cooling is required but it’s for the load and radiators.

“Water consumption for data centres is a choice – a geographical choice dependent on power, land and what is required.”

HSCALE Expands in Italy with Milan Data Centre Investment

HSCALE has closed its second hyperscale data centre campus in Northwest Milan, taking its total committed power capacity in the region to 250MW as demand for AI and cloud infrastructure continues to grow across Southern Europe.

The Bain Capital-backed company says the two campuses are scheduled to be ready for service in 2028, with more than €2bn (US$2.32bn) committed to the Milan market. Pre-construction and procurement work is already underway across both developments.

Located in Settimo, Northwest Milan, the campuses sit within one of Europe’s most established hyperscale locations. The area already hosts major cloud providers and continues to attract new infrastructure investment due to connectivity access and available grid capacity.