Schneider Electric will acquire a 75 percent stake in U.S.-based Motivair, a specialist in liquid cooling systems designed for high-performance computing, for $850 million. The all-cash deal is expected to close in the coming quarters, with plans to purchase the remaining shares by 2028.
This acquisition strengthens Schneider’s portfolio, particularly in the area of direct-to-chip liquid cooling and high-capacity thermal systems, which are essential for the growing demands of data centers driven by technologies like generative AI and large language models.
Peter Herweck, Schneider’s CEO, highlighted the importance of Motivair’s innovative cooling systems, which pump coolant at high pressure to cool servers more efficiently. Data centers and networks accounted for 21 percent of Schneider’s 2023 orders, amounting to about €8 billion ($8.7 billion), and the sector is experiencing double-digit growth this year.
In the U.S. market alone, data center power consumption is projected to triple by 2030, requiring around 47 gigawatts of new generation capacity, according to Goldman Sachs.
Earlier this year, Schneider ended negotiations for a potential deal with Bentley Systems, a U.S. engineering software company, Reuters news report said.
