As artificial intelligence places new demands on digital infrastructure, Steven Santini, secure power vice-president, Schneider Electric sub-Saharan Africa, explains why liquid cooling is becoming central to the future of resilient, efficient and sustainable AI data centres

Why AI is increasing data centre energy demand

Think about the last time you typed a question into an AI tool. That single query used roughly ten times more electricity than a standard internet search. Now multiply that by the millions of queries happening every second around the world, and you start to get a sense of the pressure building inside data centres right now.

Data centres currently consume roughly 1.5 to 2% of global electricity, and the International Energy Agency projects that demand will more than double by 2030. By that point, data centres are projected to account for approximately 3% of total global electricity consumption, growing four times faster than electricity demand from every other sector combined. The heat that comes with all of that computing power has to go somewhere. And that is where the real problem begins.

AI applications rely heavily on GPUs and accelerated computing systems that generate concentrated heat loads far greater than standard enterprise servers. For years, blowing cold air through server rows was enough. But AI workloads are a different beast entirely. Today, rack power densities already range from 40 kW to well over 100 kW. A fully populated NVIDIA GPU rack draws around 132 kW. The next generation of hardware, expected within the year, is projected to hit 240 kW per rack, and the industry is already looking ahead to a future where 1 MW per rack becomes reality. At those levels, air cooling is not just inefficient. It is unworkable.

The role of liquid cooling in AI infrastructure

Direct-to-chip liquid cooling removes heat at the exact point where it is generated, before it has a chance to spread. By capturing it directly at the chip level, liquid cooling is up to 3,000 times more efficient at removing heat than air. It can reduce a facility's overall energy use by 30 to 60 percent, and because it operates as a closed-loop system, it can eliminate water consumption from the cooling process entirely, something adiabatic air cooling simply cannot do.

Cooling already accounts for one of the largest shares of energy use in any data centre, second only to the IT load itself. Making it more efficient is one of the most direct ways to lower emissions, reduce costs, and meet sustainability commitments. For operators facing rising energy prices and growing environmental accountability, those gains are not marginal. They are structural.

Key benefits of liquid cooling in AI data centres:

• Higher energy efficiency
• Reduced cooling costs
• Lower emissions
• Better performance for high-density workloads

But switching to liquid-cooled infrastructure is not just a technical upgrade. It requires IT and facilities teams to plan together from the very beginning, aligning hardware decisions with facility design, power capacity, and long-term sustainability goals. The most expensive mistake an operator can make right now is letting AI hardware arrive before the infrastructure is ready to support it. Hybrid setups that combine air and liquid cooling, or chillers designed for higher operating temperatures, give facilities the flexibility to adapt across hardware generations without costly retrofits. Early collaboration with vendors, cooling specialists, and system integrators is what turns good intentions into working facilities.

Future-ready AI infrastructure will not be measured only by computing power. It will also be judged by efficiency, resilience and environmental responsibility.

Sustainability challenges for data centres

That urgency is being matched at a global level. According to the World Green Building Council, nine leading organisations from the built environment and sustainable finance sectors have launched the Greening AI Data Centres Coalition (GADCC) on 22 April 2026. The coalition is aimed at creating credible global benchmarks for greener data centre development, helping investors, operators, communities and policymakers distinguish measurable progress from broad marketing claims.

The IEA projects global data centre electricity demand will more than double by 2030, reaching approximately 945 TWh per year. Goldman Sachs estimates that around 60% of new data centre demand could rely on fossil fuels, adding approximately 220 million tonnes of CO2 globally. The IEA also warns that 20% of planned data centre projects are already at risk of delays due to grid constraints. Water is equally at risk, with some large data centres consuming up to 5 million gallons per day, equivalent to the daily needs of a small town.

The GADCC will focus its initial work on two priorities: developing an internationally aligned framework of environmental and social performance standards covering energy, carbon, water, waste, biodiversity and community impact; and supporting credible green finance instruments, including green bonds and sustainability-linked loans, for data centre investment that meets its standards.

The founding members are:

Building Research Establishment (BRE), Climate Bonds Initiative, German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and World Green Building Council (WorldGBC).

The AI data centres being built today will be held to a higher standard than anything that came before them. The operators who recognise that now, and plan around it from the start, will be the ones best placed to lead what comes next.

Picture this. You get home after a long day, flick the switch, and nothing happens. No light. No way to charge your phone. No power to cook dinner, help children study, or keep a small business running. For more than 600 million people across Africa, that is not a rare disruption. It is everyday reality.

That is why the European Investment Bank’s commitment of more than US$1.1bn for renewable energy projects across Africa has drawn attention. It is encouraging news and a clear sign that global institutions recognise the scale of the continent’s energy challenge. But it is also only one step in what will need to be a much larger and longer-term transformation.

The funding is expected to support scalable renewable energy projects, grid infrastructure and regional integration programmes. At a time when global interest in Africa's energy transition is rising, the pledge has been welcomed as a positive signal to markets and developers alike. Yet experts caution that no single financing package, however significant, can solve a gap of this size on its own.

Why Africa’s energy crisis is more than a funding issue

"This level of investment is important in catalysing renewable energy development, particularly in scalable projects, grid infrastructure and regional integration programmes. However, given the magnitude of Africa's energy shortfall, it represents one component of a much broader solution," said Dr Tebogo Kupi from the Centre for Applied Radiation Science and Technology at North-West University.

According to Dr Kupi, real progress will depend on combining international finance with policy reform, local innovation, skills development and an energy mix suited to the realities of each country. Universities and research institutions also have a role to play by helping develop practical solutions and talent pipelines that can sustain long-term growth.

How energy access impacts daily life in Africa

What does it really mean when electricity is missing? It means clinics cannot always run equipment reliably, vaccines become harder to store safely and emergency services face disruption when power fails.

"In healthcare, unreliable or unavailable power restricts the operation of medical equipment, vaccine storage and emergency services," commented Dr Kupi.

It also affects the future prospects of millions of young people. Without dependable electricity, students lose study hours, schools struggle to use digital tools and businesses face barriers to expansion that reduce job creation.

"In education, it limits access to digital learning tools and study hours, while economically it slows industrial expansion and reduces employment opportunities, particularly in rural areas."

These challenges show why energy access is about far more than lighting homes. It is deeply connected to productivity, inclusion and quality of life.

What Africa needs beyond investment

Africa has strong renewable energy potential. Solar, wind and hydropower resources are abundant, and many projects are already moving forward. However, financing alone does not guarantee delivery. Transmission constraints, ageing networks, weak utility finances and slow approval processes can all delay progress.

So what else is needed beyond funding? Stable regulation, modern infrastructure, energy storage capacity and stronger institutions that can move projects from announcement stage to implementation.

"The transition is feasible, but it will require sustained investment, modernised infrastructure, energy storage solutions and strong policy alignment," Dr Kupi says.

Key challenges in Africa’s energy transition:

• Transmission constraints
• Ageing networks
• Weak utility finances
• Slow approval processes

He adds that transparent procurement systems, predictable regulation and reduced bureaucracy are essential if funding is to translate into reliable long-term outcomes.

"Strengthening institutional capacity and reducing bureaucratic barriers will be essential to ensure that funding delivers sustainable outcomes."

Locally driven models will also remain critical, especially where extending national grids is too slow or too expensive. Mini-grids, off-grid solar and community-based energy systems can often deliver faster results in underserved areas.

"South Africa, with its relatively developed energy sector, is well positioned to support innovation, research and skills development in this space," noted Dr Kupi.

The European Investment Bank's US$1.1bn commitment is meaningful and timely. But closing Africa's electricity gap will require more than announcements. It will depend on consistent investment, better governance, practical local solutions and the patience to build lasting systems over time.

Africa's autonomous technology sector is quietly staging one of the most consequential technological leaps of our time.

The increased deployment of drones in Africa is delivering tangible benefits across multiple industries, improving efficiency, cutting costs and expanding access to hard-to-reach areas that traditional infrastructure has long failed to serve.

In many ways, the continent has long been a pioneer in this field. For more than a decade, drone delivery technology has been used in Rwanda to deliver vaccines and blood supplies to remote communities. This wasn't a pilot programme that faded into a footnote. It was a blueprint that the world is only now catching up to.

Can drones really save African lives?

US-based Zipline, a key player in advancing autonomous logistics in Africa, recently signed an agreement with Rwandan officials to expand its operations, a move that signals just how far this vision has come.

"In 2016, Rwanda made a decision that changed health access forever," said Caitlin Burton, CEO of Zipline Africa.

"Rwanda did not ask whether it had been done before. It asked whether it could work and whether it could save lives. They tested it, measured it, and when the data proved the impact, they scaled it. Today, Rwanda is doing it again."

The expansion reinforces Rwanda's position as a global leader in AI, robotics and autonomous logistics, delivering cost-effective, life-saving healthcare to millions. As part of the deal, Zipline will also establish a new AI and robotics testing facility in the country to support aircraft performance trials, safety systems and next-generation logistics software, while helping to develop local talent. Rwanda isn't just adopting technology; it's building the infrastructure to own it.

AI Drones: transforming fields, forests, mines

Beyond healthcare, commercial drone applications are transforming industries that might seem far removed from high-tech innovation.

In drone technology for agriculture, companies such as Aerobotics are using the technology to scan crops, detect pests and improve yields. Its Drone Scan platform uses multispectral cameras and thermal sensors to capture detailed imagery of orchards and vineyards. AI-powered data analytics then processes this information to generate insights that support more informed, data-driven decisions, putting satellite-level intelligence in the hands of individual farmers.

In wildlife conservation, drones are helping park rangers in Kenya and Tanzania track poachers and monitor endangered species across vast reserves, covering in minutes what would take rangers days on foot.

In infrastructure, utilities are deploying industrial drones to inspect power lines, railways and roads more safely and efficiently than manual methods. And underground, where conditions are most hazardous, the results are striking. When Flyability's Elios 3 drone was used to survey a gold mine in Zimbabwe, it achieved 90% survey coverage in an area that previously reached only 50%. The drone required just a single access point, unlike traditional methods that need multiple entry points, slowing the process and increasing risk. It completed the mission in a seven-minute flight, without additional scans, far faster than any handheld alternative.

Autonomous ground vehicles enter African markets

The autonomous vehicle technology revolution isn't confined to the skies. As drone technology in Africa spreads, a parallel shift is taking shape on the ground.

UAE-based Micropolis Robotics recently signed an agreement with AfricAI Limited to develop three customised autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs), alongside a multi-year distribution deal across several African markets. The vehicles will be tailored for police and public safety, border control and remote surveillance, as well as agricultural automation.

Under the agreement, AfricAI will hold exclusive distribution rights in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, a footprint that spans some of the continent's most strategically significant markets.

"Africa is a dynamic and rapidly evolving region with increasing demand for intelligent automation solutions," said Fareed Aljawhari, CEO of Micropolis Robotics.

The age of drones and autonomous technology in Africa, though still in its infancy, is truly upon us. And if history is any guide, the continent won't just adopt this technology. It will shape it.