ExxonMobil and Intel partner on data centre cooling technologies

ExxonMobil and Intel have announced a groundbreaking multi-year collaboration to develop and certify advanced, energy-efficient liquid-based cooling technologies for data centres. This partnership is aimed at addressing the increasing global energy demands of data centres and promoting sustainability within the burgeoning digital infrastructure sector.

The collaboration brings together ExxonMobil’s recently launched portfolio of data centre immersion fluid products and Intel’s cutting-edge Xeon technology. Together, they aim to enhance the energy efficiency of Intel’s computing architecture and systems, positioning themselves as leaders in the rapidly evolving data centre market.

Intel’s Xeon technology, a family of server and workstation processors produced by Intel, are known for their high performance, reliability, scalability, and multi-core capabilities, making them well-suited for demanding enterprise applications, data centres, cloud computing environments, and complex scientific computations.

ExxonMobil, a major international energy and petrochemical company, is one of the leading manufacturers of synthetic base oils, including polyalphaolefins (PAOs). PAOs are used in the formulation of high-performance synthetic lubricants and cooling fluids due to their excellent stability and thermal properties. Esters, glycols, or other synthetic hydrocarbons may also be used in the formulation to optimise the properties of cooling fluids, such as electrical resistivity, cooling efficiency, and environmental impact.

Sarah Horne, vice president at ExxonMobil, emphasised the strategic synergy, stating, “By integrating ExxonMobil’s proven expertise in liquid cooling technologies with Intel’s long legacy of industry leadership in world-changing computing technologies, together we will further the industry’s adoption and acceptance as it transitions to liquid cooling technologies.”

Jen Huffstetler, chief product sustainability officer at Intel, highlighted the environmental benefits of the partnership. “Our partnership with ExxonMobil to co-develop turnkey solutions for liquid cooling will enable significant energy and water savings for data centre and network deployments. Through this collaboration we are making progress on our journey to sustainable computing for a sustainable future,” she said.

This initiative not only aims to meet the partners’ sustainability goals but also to co-develop turnkey solutions that can significantly reduce the operational footprints of data centres. Today, data centers are estimated to account for approximately 2% of global energy consumption, a figure expected to rise to about 5% by 2030. Managing this increase in energy demand is crucial. The collaboration between ExxonMobil and Intel represents a significant step towards innovative solutions in cooling technologies that could set new standards for energy efficiency and environmental responsibility in the tech industry.