How Castrol is Enhancing Data Centre Sustainability
As AI continues to gain traction, the conversation is turning to the data centres that power them - and their energy and water intensive nature. Leading lubricants company Castrol debuted a new fluid management service at Datacloud Global Congress 2025 specifically for data centre liquid cooling.
The complete service model is designed to cover the entire operation lifecycle from installation to disposal and includes system start-up, maintenance, 'break fix' support and fluid disposal. It will be rolled out globally through Castrol's partner network and aims to help remove operational barriers in the adoption of liquid cooling in data centres.
“Data centre operators recognise the benefits of liquid cooling but need assurance around long-term fluid management,” says Peter Huang, Global Vice President of Data Centre Thermal Management at Castrol.
“Castrol has delivered fluid services for the automotive industry for decades – we're now bringing this proven expertise to data centres with a service model that supports optimal performance throughout the entire lifecycle.”
Why more sustainable cooling solutions are required
This development comes as the data centre industry searches for more efficient cooling strategies to keep up with the rising computing demand.
Emerging technologies like AI are exerting additional pressure on facilities, prompting a shift from traditional air cooling systems, which are now insufficient for the level of digital transformation within data centres.
Industry research indicates that traditional air cooling systems are inadequate for increased computing demands from AI and edge computing applications, with 74% of data centre experts endorsing immersion cooling as vital to current power requirements.
As a result, data centres require more on-prem hardware, in addition to more space and energy to run efficiently, creating challenges for businesses.
- System start-up support with fluid installation, filtration, system flushing and certificates of analysis
- Ongoing maintenance such as laboratory testing, dynamic monitoring, predictive maintenance and smart dosing capabilities
- Seamless ‘break-fix’ service, including telephone assistance, virtual engineering support, on-site response and spare fluid availability
- Support with fluid collection and disposal
Data centre operations present sustainability concerns, with the IEA indicating that global electricity demand grew by 2.2% in 2023 and warning this could double by 2026.
Liquid cooling and immersion cooling solutions are therefore viewed as sustainable alternatives to air cooling, improving efficiencies and reducing carbon emissions.
For businesses investing in data centres, this is an essential step towards securing a sustainable future for their operations.
Immersion cooling solutions to become ‘mission critical’
Castrol’s service introduction aligns with the data centre industry’s growing pressure to enhance cooling efficiency.
Castrol Thermal Management has long focused on thermal management solutions for both data centres and energy storage. Its market covers the US, Europe, the Middle East, China, Australia, and Southeast Asia, leveraging its advanced technologies in partnership with others.
A Castrol report recently found that new cooling technologies are critical to supporting increased computing demand, otherwise data centres risk falling behind. Click HERE to learn more.
The company has developed Castrol ON data centre cooling fluids to meet escalating cooling needs in AI, machine learning, and other cloud computing applications. This is expected to enable optimal performance throughout a data centre’s lifecycle.
Supporting lifecycle sustainability
“Our aim with this new service model is to remove the operational and technical uncertainties that have slowed liquid cooling adoption,” said Andrea Zunino, Global Offer Development Manager at Castrol.
“Within liquid cooling systems, the fluid represents a single point of failure – degraded conditions can reduce cooling capacity and lead to equipment failure. We're going beyond just fluid supply to deliver structured support at every stage, giving data centre operators the confidence they need to embrace liquid cooling.”
The company says the new service model will be deployed globally through Castrol's partner network and delivered with third-party suppliers.
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