Global IT services company Getronics has awarded Keysource, the data centre and critical environment specialist, a consultancy project to support one of its clients that provides sustainable cloud services. Keysource will be working closely with the Getronics team at its head office in the Netherlands and in its Data Centre in Runcorn in the UK.

The project will involve Keysource providing design advice on the integration of immersive liquid cooling into Getronics’ existing facility in Runcorn. This will be used to support the higher temperatures generated by systems such as HPC (High Performance Computing) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) deployments, as liquid cooling is much more effective at removing heat than air cooling.

The design, which will need to be integrated in a live environment, will facilitate  complete servers being submerged into a thermally conductive dielectric liquid or coolant. Heat will be removed from the system by circulating liquid into direct contact with hot components, then through cool heat exchangers.

Richard Clifford, Head of Solutions, said: “At Keysource we have been able to assist many customers with the challenges and demands of deploying liquid cooling, both immersive and direct, into new and existing environments. There are several benefits including a reduction in overall power consumption, an improvement in its power usage effectiveness (PUE),  and potential for reduced emissions by leveraging waste heat for potential district heating applications.

“Our significant experience and skills in energy efficiency/sustainability, facility design (large and small), existing facility optimisation, operation and live upgrade means we are well place to deliver this. We are also keen to play our part in tackling the issues of climate change and supporting our clients’ green agenda, whatever that might be.”

Nikolai Lakovic, UK Managing Director at Getronics said: “This is a complex and challenging project so we needed a partner with proven experience and skills to ensure it runs smoothly with no impact on our operations. This will enable us to support the changing needs of an existing client and provide additional services to others with high IT intensities.  Being energy efficient is important for Getronics, our clients, and the world so we are happy to invest in this technology”.