ABB has launched Infinitus, an integrated portfolio of direct current (DC) power solutions designed to meet the rising electricity requirements of AI data centres. The portfolio is aimed at improving energy efficiency, reducing power infrastructure footprint and increasing the computing capacity available within data centre facilities.
The launch comes as data centre power demand is expected to rise sharply with the expansion of artificial intelligence. The International Energy Agency expects global data centre electricity consumption to more than double by 2030. ABB estimates that 25% to 40% of new data centre capacity installed in 2030 could use DC distribution.
Next-generation AI chips are expected to require 1 MW or more per rack, compared with almost 200 kW today. ABB said 800 VDC distribution can support these higher power requirements while reducing conversion steps and heat losses associated with conventional alternating current (AC) systems.
A recent BCG and ABB report found that DC distribution can deliver energy efficiency gains of more than 5% while increasing space available for computing racks. For a 500 MW data centre, a 5% efficiency improvement could provide an additional 25 MW for IT loads and potentially support more than US$300 million in additional annual revenue. The same energy saving over one year would be equivalent to powering Washington, D.C. for almost a week.
“ABB has pioneered DC technology for more than 25 years across several segments. We are working closely with chipmakers, hyperscale customers, supply partners and industry bodies to set the standards and the pace for the roll-out of high-efficiency DC architectures,” said Giampiero Frisio, President, ABB Electrification.
At the centre of Infinitus is ABB’s solid-state transformer technology. The portfolio is designed as an integrated source-to-rack DC architecture for both DC-native and hybrid AC/DC data centres. The five main building blocks include medium-voltage powertrains for stable power from the grid or on-site generation; DC sources and power quality systems that convert AC to DC; DC power distribution for higher power density; DC power protection for equipment and operator safety; and cooling optimisation using DC-connected variable-speed drives and motors.
ABB will work with customers to develop solutions based on individual power requirements, facility layouts and energy sources. The company expects the first DC-native facilities using the complete Infinitus portfolio to become operational within two to three years.
The launch builds on ABB’s collaboration with NVIDIA to develop 800 VDC power architectures for gigawatt-scale AI facilities. ABB has more than 25 years of DC experience and over 700 patents covering renewables, power generation, energy storage, motors and drives.
