Elea Data Centers, a leading provider of sustainable digital infrastructure and colocation services in Brazil’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 markets, announced a landmark agreement for Vertiv to deliver hundreds of cooling distribution units (CDUs) to support liquid cooling for AI applications in its São Paulo sites, part of Elea’s US$300M first-phase investment in their AI data center 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 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 center operations in Brazil and beyond. According to Americas Market Intelligence, Brazil sets the tone for being a global leader in artificial intelligence deployments in the next few years with its renewable energy matrix, available electricity transmission capacity, and mature data center market.
The Vertiv™ liquid cooling systems are designed with greater energy efficiency at their core to manage high-density AI applications, boasting energy consumption lower than traditional direct expansion cooling methods and an impressive Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.15 to 1.2. Liquid cooling technology is a key technology to support a data center sustainability strategy – a foundational value for Elea and Vertiv – making it an ideal solution for global businesses seeking to optimize their AI capabilities.
“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,” said 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.”
This investment represents a pivotal shift toward addressing AI’s unique requirements. 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, USA, 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 positioned as the leading player in the Brazilian landscape for hyperscale clients deploying AI and further positions Latin America as a region ready to support cutting-edge technologies. Furthermore, Elea’s nine sites are 100% powered by renewable energy.
“The Latin America data center 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,” said 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.”