Schneider Electric launches AI data centre chillers
Wed, 3rd Jun 2026 (Today)
Schneider Electric has launched its Uniflair XCA chiller line for high-density AI data centres, with air-cooled and free-cooling models.
The line includes six sizes of oil-free centrifugal chillers with cooling capacity from 1,200 kW to 2,500 kW. The systems are designed for liquid-cooled data centre environments facing rising thermal loads from AI computing and GPU clusters.
The range consists of two variants: the Uniflair XCAC for air-cooled deployments and the Uniflair XCAF for free-cooling installations. Both use oil-free centrifugal compressors with magnetic bearing technology and built-in variable-speed drives.
This design removes the need for lubrication systems, cutting maintenance requirements, lowering contamination risks and reducing mechanical losses. The equipment is also built to operate across a wide range of conditions, including elevated water temperatures increasingly used in liquid-cooling setups.
Schneider Electric listed an Energy Efficiency Ratio of 4.66 for the line. The chillers also use low-global-warming-potential refrigerants and align with the EU F-Gas Regulation 2024/573.
Cooling demand
The launch comes as operators of AI-focused data centres look for ways to manage denser racks and higher power use without increasing energy consumption and downtime. Cooling equipment has become a larger part of overall data centre design as liquid cooling moves from specialist deployments towards broader use in facilities built for intensive AI workloads.
Schneider Electric said the XCA line is intended to address these conditions with a spray-type evaporator, V-shaped microchannel coils and a heat-rejection system that uses large-diameter EC fans. According to the company, these features improve heat exchange, reduce refrigerant charge and support stable operation at high ambient temperatures.
For the free-cooling XCAF models, Schneider Electric said the systems can operate in conditions from -20C to +52C. In moderate climates, those models can deliver up to 60% energy savings compared with mechanical cooling alone by extending the period in which free cooling can be used.
The systems also support a quick restart after a power outage, with full operational capacity restored within three minutes. In data centres, rapid recovery is critical because even short interruptions can affect service availability and create risks for equipment running at high utilisation.
Software controls
Alongside the mechanical changes, Schneider Electric has added new firmware features aimed at adjusting performance in real time. These include variable-speed pump algorithms that can run for constant flow, constant temperature differential or constant head pressure.
The chillers also include fan modulation settings for low-noise and ultra-low-noise operation based on temperature, load or scheduled time periods. The systems include energy metering and real-time water flow measurement to give operators more visibility into performance.
These controls reflect a wider trend in cooling infrastructure, with suppliers pairing physical plant equipment with software and sensors to manage changing workloads more precisely. In AI data centres, where compute demand can swing sharply and thermal profiles are less predictable than in conventional enterprise facilities, operators are under pressure to match cooling output closely to load.
Schneider Electric said the line can be configured with a range of electrical, hydraulic, noise-control and performance options. That flexibility is aimed at data centre operators and designers who need to adapt cooling systems to specific site conditions, climate profiles and operating requirements.
Andrew Bradner, Senior Vice President, Cooling Business at Schneider Electric, outlined the company's rationale for the launch.
"Energy efficiency, adaptability and reliability are essential components of liquid cooling systems for AI-optimized data centers, and we've designed the Uniflair XCA line with these most important design features at the forefront," said Andrew Bradner, Senior Vice President, Cooling Business at Schneider Electric.
"With adaptable water operating temperatures and versatile deployment options, the XCA line features a system-level approach that gives operators scalability, enhanced performance and long-term peace of mind as data center complexity continues to rise," said Bradner.
Schneider Electric said the first Uniflair XCA units will begin shipping globally in June 2026, with availability in the United States to follow in early 2027.