How Elea Data Centers is Tapping Vertiv to Power Brazil AI

As a leading data centre provider in Brazil, Elea Data Centers is committed to supporting the region’s AI growth. The company is using liquid cooling systems from leading data centre infrastructure company Vertiv for its purpose-built AI data centres in Brazil.

These cooling systems are part of Elea’s first-phase investment of US$300m for AI-ready data centres. They are designed to ultimately help Brazil in the global AI race, with Vertiv providing hundreds of cooling distribution units (CDUs) to support liquid cooling for AI applications.

Taking place at Elea’s São Paulo sites, part of Elea’s US$300M first-phase investment in their AI data centre project. This is a pioneering liquid cooling deployment to support AI at scale in the region.

This agreement marks a liquid cooling delivery for Latin America (LATAM) that strategically positions the region to meet the burgeoning demands of hyperscale AI applications. The first phase of this initiative will be delivered in 2025, setting a new standard for data centre operations in Brazil and beyond. 

Addressing AI in the Brazilian data centre market

According to Americas Market Intelligence, Brazil is setting the tone for being a global leader in AI deployments over the next few years with its renewable energy matrix. 

Vertiv’s liquid cooling systems are designed with greater energy efficiency at their core to manage high-density AI applications. This in turn is able to create lower energy consumption than traditional direct expansion cooling methods and a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.15 to 1.2, according to the company. 

Liquid cooling technology is continually touted as critical to supporting future-proof data centres, as each facility strives to make good on its sustainability targets. It is able to remove heat more effectively than the more traditional air cooling and is an ideal solution for global businesses, like Elea and Vertiv, seeking to optimise their AI strategies. 

“Vertiv is established as a leader in the liquid cooling market, and Elea’s investment in Vertiv’s liquid cooling technology will make our facilities a pioneering infrastructure platform for artificial intelligence in Brazil,” comments Alessandro Lombardi, Chairman of Elea Data Centers. 

“We are ready to deploy this technology in Latin America, as AI applications require cooling equipment that will efficiently cool racks that can go well beyond 100 kW in density. It’s a paramount improvement in technology and energy efficiency. Liquid cooling to support wide-scale AI deployment is the future we are bringing to Latin America.”

Harnessing disruptive tech in LATAM

This investment in Vertiv infrastructure represents a pivotal shift toward addressing the unique requirements associated with AI growth. 

Several Elea directors, experts in operation, design, site architecture, networking and construction, have spent time at both the Vertiv Academy and Customer Experience Center in Ohio, US, to receive in-depth training to learn about the benefits of liquid cooling and how to deploy and support this technology.

By leveraging Vertiv’s liquid cooling systems as part of their robust infrastructure, Elea is eager to position itself as a leading player in the Brazilian landscape for hyperscale clients. Being able to deploy AI successfully can further position LATAM as a region ready to support cutting-edge technologies. 

In line with this, Elea’s nine sites are 100% powered by renewable energy.

“The Latin America data centre market is important to Vertiv’s business, and we share Elea’s goal of enabling AI deployments in the region. Liquid cooling is essential to support high density AI applications,” says Giordano (Gio) Albertazzi, CEO of Vertiv. 

“With the critical digital infrastructure in place, Elea is well-positioned to host businesses seeking to harness the power of AI in LATAM, while promoting sustainability best practices.”

Make sure you check out the latest edition of Data Centre Magazine and also sign up to our global conference series - Tech & AI LIVE 2024

Data Centre Magazine is a BizClik brand