Panasonic Corporation announced that its Heating & Ventilation A/C Company has started accepting orders in Europe from March 4, 2026, for two Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) models for generative AI data centers with capacities of 400 kW (approx. 1.36 million BTU/h) and 800 kW (approx. 2.73 million BTU/h). The company also introduced two free-cooling chillers with capacities of 800 kW (approx. 2.73 million BTU/h) and 1,200 kW (approx. 4.09 million BTU/h). Panasonic said it is also developing CDUs with capacities of 1,200 kW and above, with order acceptance scheduled to begin within March 2026.
The launch comes as global data center construction accelerates and facilities require systems capable of removing large amounts of heat generated by IT equipment. Traditionally, air-cooling systems using chilled water supplied by chillers have been the mainstream approach. However, increasing heat output from high-performance semiconductor GPU chips used in generative AI applications is driving demand for high-efficiency liquid cooling, particularly in hyperscale and colocation data centers.
Panasonic has been expanding its data center cooling business in Europe following its 2023 acquisition of Tecnair S.p.A., an Italy-based manufacturer of Close Control Air-Conditioning Units (CCUs) used in air-cooling systems. The newly developed CDUs perform heat exchange and distribute coolant using chilled water supplied by chillers. According to the company, combining CDUs with existing air-cooling systems enables both air and liquid cooling solutions, supporting power savings and reducing the overall system footprint required to achieve the same cooling capacity.
In addition, Panasonic developed its first chillers for data centers equipped with a free-cooling function designed for small- to medium-scale facilities such as edge data centers. The system uses low outdoor temperatures, up to 10°C (50°F), to produce chilled water and improve energy efficiency. The chillers use the low-GWP refrigerant R1234ze(E) (GWP: 1), which the company says helps reduce environmental impact.
