Schneider Electric has launched the WCDU coolant distribution unit (CDU), which integrates with fan wall air-cooling systems for hybrid cooling arrangements in high-density AI data centres.
The unit is designed for technical-corridor installations. It will begin shipping in select regions in October 2026, with US pre-orders due to start in early 2027.
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The WCDU allows operators to alter the balance between liquid and air cooling without fully redesigning a data hall as workloads are finalised.
It can operate alongside fan walls or as a standalone system, providing a retrofit option for facilities that already use fan-wall cooling. Its steel frame contains pumps, heat exchangers and other CDU components.
Schneider Electric cooling business senior vice-president Andrew Bradner said: “As the only CDU that brings together both liquid and air cooling within a single solution, we’re delivering a level of flexibility the market hasn’t seen before.
“This approach allows operators to deploy more efficiently, support a wider range of liquid cooling infrastructure configurations, and significantly reduce time to deployment.”
The WCDU has top-entry connections intended to simplify installation and keep the white space clear.
Schneider Electric designed the unit for technical corridors, where operators are placing CDUs outside the white space to support service and maintenance access. The system has zero lateral clearance and a scalable, multi-modal architecture.
A single unit can provide up to 3.5MW at 1.5 litres per minute per kW, or 2.5MW at 2.0 litres per minute per kW. Up to 20 WCDU units can operate in group mode as a coordinated system, which Schneider Electric said can support 30-40MW data halls.
The WCDU supports warmer facility-water system temperatures and approach temperature differences as low as 2°C.
These conditions can improve PUE and the energy efficiency of the cooling infrastructure, contributing to lower operating costs. The unit includes hot-swappable pumps, PICVs, 25-micron filters and a 15-inch touchscreen HMI.
For deployments of up to 2.5MW, the WCDU can be specified with N+1 redundancy, providing pump and valve backup during maintenance or an unexpected component outage.
It joins the Motivair by Schneider Electric liquid-cooling range, bringing the company’s CDU portfolio to a capacity range of 105kW to 3.5MW.
