Pranav Hotkar
Osaka, Japan - March 4, 2026 - Panasonic Corporation has launched a new liquid-cooling systems business in Europe aimed at supporting the rapidly growing thermal management demands of generative AI data centers. The company announced it has begun accepting orders for multiple cooling products designed specifically for high-density AI workloads.
The initiative is being led by Panasonic’s Heating & Ventilation AC Company. It includes new Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs) and free-cooling chillers, intended for hyperscale and colocation facilities that are increasingly deploying GPU-based AI infrastructure. According to the company, orders for the products began on March 4, 2026, in the European market.
Panasonic said the new portfolio includes two CDU models with 400kW and 800kW capacity, as well as free-cooling chillers rated at 800kW and 1,200kW. The company is also developing higher-capacity CDUs exceeding 1,200kW, with order acceptance expected within March.
The move reflects the growing pressure on data center operators to handle the heat generated by advanced AI processors. While traditional facilities have relied on air cooling using chilled water systems, the surge in power density from GPUs used in generative AI workloads is driving the adoption of liquid cooling technologies.
“Generative AI data centers have begun to face increasing challenges due to the significant rise in heat output from high-performance semiconductor GPU chips responsible for advanced computational processing,” Panasonic said in the announcement.
The newly introduced CDUs are designed to exchange heat and distribute coolant within liquid-cooling loops using chilled water supplied by chillers. By combining liquid cooling for high-heat-density zones with traditional air cooling across server rooms, Panasonic said the system can reduce energy consumption while maintaining stable data center operations.
Panasonic also emphasised that the new cooling systems are intended to improve space efficiency in facilities. The hybrid architecture enables operators to achieve equivalent cooling capacity while reducing the overall system footprint inside data centers.
Alongside liquid cooling units, the company has introduced its first data-centre-focused chillers with free-cooling functionality, which use low outdoor temperatures, up to around 10°C, to generate chilled water more efficiently. The chillers use R1234ze(E) refrigerant, which has a global warming potential of 1, helping reduce environmental impact.
Panasonic’s expansion into liquid cooling builds on its acquisition of Italian air-conditioning specialist Tecnair S.p.A. in 2023, a move that strengthened its presence in Europe’s data center cooling market.
The company said the new systems are designed not only for large hyperscale facilities but also for small- and medium-scale sites such as edge data centers, where energy efficiency and compact infrastructure are increasingly important.
With global data center construction accelerating due to AI adoption, Panasonic aims to position its combined air- and liquid-cooling technologies as a comprehensive solution for next-generation high-performance computing environments.
