Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital infrastructure are driving a paradigm shift in Australia’s mining landscape, revolutionising operations, while enhancing efficiency, reliability and connectivity.
As more resources companies begin adopting technologies with sophisticated algorithms and machine-learning capabilities, AI and digital infrastructure such as data centres are transforming key aspects of mining operations, creating pathways to predictive and optimised processes.
Research and consulting firm IDTechEx forecasts the data centre liquid cooling market could grow sixfold in size over the next 10 years, as the number of data centres continue to grow exponentially.
According to IDTechEx, there has been a trend towards liquid-to-liquid cooling, with liquid-to-liquid cooled data centres forecasted to grow from 1% in 2024 to 30% by 2026, demonstrating much interest and scope for developments within the sector.
Its report Thermal Management for Data Centers 2025-2035: Technologies, Markets, and Opportunities explores different levels and techniques of data centre thermal management, from air-to-liquid cooling such as single-phase direct-to-chip, two-phase direct-to-chip, 1-PIC immersion, and 2-PIC immersion, and covers market players and predictions for the next decade.
IDTechEx predicts that graphics processing units (GPUs) with a thermal design power (TDP) of over 1500W could be expected over the next year in 2025, with the management of energy costs becoming slightly trickier.
“Thermal management and cooling systems will therefore need to become a main consideration in data center designs to enable efficient cooling, enhanced thermal efficiency, and reduced energy waste,” IDTechEx notes.
“As GPU TDPs increase, advanced cooling systems become more necessary to avoid overheating and to maintain system efficiency, which can provide challenges for thermal management.
“Two-phase cooling is likely to rise, as this approach could provide greater success and efficiency for better managing increasing temperatures. For data centers, efficient heat dissipation is vital to see long lifetimes and well-maintained GPU performance.”
Air cooling in a hot market
The cooling technologies for data centres provide options for server and rack level cooling and room and facility level cooling, varying by degree of commonality and efficiency.
According to IDTechEx, three main options are available for server level cooling, including air cooling as the traditional method, which uses fans installed on a server board to provide air flow to cool down heat sources.
IDTechEx states that with the increasing thermal design power of GPUs and central processing units (CPUs), standalone air cooling could be insufficient, which is where liquid cooling can take over.
“Direct-to-chip cooling is the most common type of liquid cooling as of 2024 and 2025, where a cold plate is installed on top of a heat source (typically GPU or CPU). Depending on the type of liquid used inside the cold plate, direct-to-chip cooling can be split into single-phase and two-phase cooling,” IDTechEx reports.
“Single-phase cooling typically uses a water-glycol mixture such as PG25 and two-phase refrigerants. Immersion cooling is the third method for server level cooling and involves immersing an entire server board into a fluid tank.
“Much like direct-to-chip cooling, there is the option of either single-phase or two-phase immersion, with two-phase offering a significantly higher cooling capacity. However, regulatory concerns around PFAS are still hindering the mass adoption of two-phase as of 2025.”
In addition to the server and rack level cooling, cooling also happens in data centre facilities at the room and facility levels. IDTechEx states that room and facility level cooling also traditionally employs air cooling as a main approach.
Methods include a rear door heat exchanger at the back of a server rack, computer room air conditioning, computer room air handlers, and a sidecar heat exchanger.
“Computer room air handler units are a hybrid of air and liquid cooling that use cold water from pump rooms to cool down the perimeter of a computer room. They work by absorbing hot air from a computer room and releasing cooled air back into the room to maintain optimum temperatures,” the report adds.
“Liquid-to-air cooling is currently a common approach, as liquid-cooled server racks are beginning to replace air-cooled server racks. Liquid-to-air cooling in this context indicates that liquid (typically direct-to-chip) cooling happens on the server level, and air cooling happens on the facility level, where cold air is used to cool down the hot water.”
However, IDTechEx notes this is not the most efficient method and therefore, there has been a trend towards liquid-to-liquid cooling.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: Stock & IDTechEx
