The data center industry is currently facing a double challenge: In order to meet rapidly increasing demand from edge computing (close to users), and hyperscale facilities (economies of scale), the need to build quickly must now also be balanced with the need to build far more efficiently. On the one hand, facilities must cope with growing computing demands driven by AI, streaming, cloud services, as well as increasingly powerful chips. At the same time, 2% of the worlds electricity is currently driving data centers, which has led to growing pressure from governments and customers alike to reduce their climate impact.
As a specialist in thermoplastic piping systems, GF Piping Systems is addressing these challenges with complete solutions designed to combine energy efficiency, longevity, and an improved carbon footprint. The company offers corrosion-resistant pipes and fittings, including double containment and factory-pre-insulated systems for cooling. Compared to metal, thermoplastic piping systems are more sustainable as they have a lower climate impact during production, and they are up to 25% more energy efficient during operation. Additional equipment for process automation also allows operators to monitor, control, and improve their installations. With 36 production sites and 18 prefabrication facilities in a total of 31 countries, GF Piping Systems has a global presence.
Mark Bulmer, Head of Data Centers Global Market Development at GF Piping Systems, views the data center industry as a key market for the company. “Future-proof data centers require complete and forward-thinking solutions, and we believe that we can provide value to this mission-critical infrastructure. Besides offering innovative and efficient plastic systems for Direct Liquid Cooling of computer racks, we can speed up the time-to-market thanks to our global prefabrication network as well as expert planning and engineering support. Together with our customers, we are striving towards the net-zero data centers of the future.”
Products by GF Piping Systems have already been implemented in various data center applications. The company recently prefabricated high-density polyethylene (PE100) piping systems and valves for a new hyperscale data center in Dublin, Ireland. The piping systems, which reached a length of eight kilometers per building, are now used for mission-critical process cooling components deployed on the roof of the data center. GF Piping Systems provided engineering support including stress analyses, static load calculations, as well as ultrasonic non-destructive testing after the installation.
In addition to large-scale data centers, GF Piping Systems has also supported projects aimed at local industry. German company Leitwerk AG offers modular IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) and focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises seeking a regional and sustainable IT solution. As part of the company’s efforts to become CO2 neutral, Leitwerk selected a fully pre-insulated plastic piping solution by GF Piping Systems designed to increase reliability and improve energy efficiency by up to 25% compared to metal alternatives.
