Motivair debuts AI-ready coolant units for data centres

Motivair by Schneider Electric has launched two new coolant distribution units aimed at handling higher thermal loads from high performance computing and artificial intelligence systems in data centres.

The units are the first new products released under the Motivair brand since Schneider Electric acquired the company in early 2025.

The new models, the MCDU-45 and MCDU-55, are designed for installation in utility corridors rather than only on the data hall floor. The company said this approach gives operators more options on where to position liquid cooling infrastructure inside and around their facilities.

Both units are available for global orders. Schneider Electric said it expects production volumes to rise in early 2026.

The two CDUs sit within a wider Motivair liquid cooling portfolio. This portfolio also includes floor-mounted units and in-rack systems for a range of data centre layouts.

The company said the extended range targets hyperscale, AI, colocation, edge and retrofit sites. These facilities face higher rack densities from GPU-based computing for machine learning and simulation workloads.

AI thermal demands

Motivair by Schneider Electric said the CDUs reflect a shift in how operators deploy liquid cooling infrastructure. More equipment now sits outside the traditional white space as operators reorganise plant areas around AI clusters.

The MCDU-45 and MCDU-55 offer wider cooling capacities and design conditions. They also support a broader range of chilled water temperatures.

This approach allows operators to adjust water temperatures in line with local climate, chiller selection and workload patterns. It also supports mixed environments where liquid cooling sits alongside traditional air-cooled IT.

Andrew Bradner, Senior Vice President, Cooling Business at Schneider Electric, said many operators now seek a broader selection of liquid cooling products.

"When it comes to data center liquid cooling, flexibility is the key with customers demanding a more diverse and larger portfolio of end-to-end solutions," said Andrew Bradner, Senior Vice President, Cooling Business at Schneider Electric. "Our new CDUs, announced today, allow customers to match deployment strategies to a wider range of accelerated computing applications while leveraging decades of specialized cooling experience to ensure optimal performance, reliability, and future-readiness."

Space and energy

The company positioned space use and layout flexibility as central features of the range. The new utility-corridor design offers an alternative to units that occupy rack space or white space floor area.

Motivair by Schneider Electric said operators can select from multiple CDU models across the MCDU-25 to MCDU-60 range. It said this variety supports different capacity points and physical formats within the same site.

The new units support wider operating ranges. This allows heat rejection systems in the plant to run at higher water temperatures in suitable conditions.

Higher water temperatures can reduce compressor usage in chiller systems in some climates. This can lower electrical demand and improve power usage effectiveness metrics.

The company said the CDUs work with advanced thermal management strategies at the plant level. These strategies include precise flow control, real-time monitoring and adaptive load balancing across multiple cooling assets.

Motivair by Schneider Electric said this approach improves uptime and lowers energy consumption over time. It also said it can reduce operational costs by matching cooling output more closely with IT load.

Service and integration

The new designs also address maintenance access. The company said the ability to place CDUs outside the white space can simplify service work and reduce disruption inside data halls.

Placement in corridors or plant rooms can separate IT operations from mechanical maintenance tasks. It can also support different security and access policies for engineering staff and IT staff.

The full CDU range integrates with central chiller plants. It uses control systems that monitor coolant temperatures and flows across primary and secondary loops.

Motivair by Schneider Electric said this integration supports consistent supply temperatures to IT racks during load swings. It said this can support resilience as AI compute clusters ramp up and down.

Post-acquisition strategy

The release of the MCDU-45 and MCDU-55 marks the first major product line update from Motivair by Schneider Electric since the acquisition.

The company said growth in AI workloads and high-density computing has driven demand for liquid cooling in both new-build and retrofit projects. It also said operators increasingly seek standardised product lines across regions.

Rich Whitmore, CEO of Motivair, said the combined organisation is targeting AI-era infrastructure requirements.

"Motivair is a trusted partner for advanced liquid cooling solutions, and our new range of technologies enables data center operators to navigate the AI era with confidence," said Rich Whitmore, CEO of Motivair. "Together with Schneider Electric, our goal is to deliver next-generation cooling solutions that adapt to any HPC, AI or advanced data center deployment to deliver seamless scalability, performance, and reliability when it matters most."