What do you see as the main challenges that organisations face today when it comes to power infrastructure for data centres?
The biggest challenge is simply securing enough power in the right place and on the timeline developers need. Demand has accelerated much faster than utilities, transmission infrastructure, supply chains and the skilled workforce to support it.
Even in places where generation capacity already exists, it may not be close enough to new development, and building the transmission and distribution infrastructure required to move that power can take years.
How can such issues be overcome?
Behind-the-meter generation is becoming an increasingly important part of the power mix, because in the right circumstances it can be deployed more quickly.
But it isn’t an instant fix. Large on-site generation projects are complex and require specialised expertise to execute at scale. Standardising designs, planning and diversifying supply chains earlier and moving more work into the factory can help accelerate deployment.
In what ways is Mission Critical Group [MCG] working with data centre providers to improve time to power?
Rather than reinventing the wheel for each customer, we start with power systems we’ve already engineered that can meet roughly 80% of what they’re asking for; then we can tailor the remaining 20% to exactly what they need.
Combined with modular construction, established supply chains and early procurement, this can help significantly compress delivery timelines.
How are AI workloads changing the way power systems need to be designed?
AI is changing power infrastructure dramatically and systems need to be designed with greater flexibility to accommodate the shift to ultra-high-density environments.
MCG recently made a strategic investment in solid-state-transformer technology through our partner WattEV, an electric goods transportation company, to prepare for those environments. This allows us to manufacture the entire power backbone to enable the greater densities required by AI data centres.
What does MCG do that’s unique compared with others in the industry?
We unite engineering, manufacturing, integration, power-generation expertise and field services to deliver holistic power solutions. We have decades of experience and on-site know-how with well-known industry leaders in sectors such as microgrids and the utility space.
Our integrated model gives customers a single partner that can take greater ownership of the power system, from front-end design through commissioning and lifecycle support. It also helps reduce risk and move projects more quickly.
What role does testing play in ensuring effective long-term performance?
Testing is about finding problems before they become operational issues. We use innovations that integrate quality assurance and quality-control processes and conduct initial commissioning in the factory to catch as many issues as possible before products leave the manufacturing floor. We also support testing through simulated outages and failure scenarios once systems reach the site.
Proactive lifecycle maintenance, including infrared scans, can then identify emerging issues before they cause failures and help improve long-term performance.
How do you see the mission-critical power industry evolving over the next five years?
As power and compute configurations mature, I think we’ll see data centre development settle into a more repeatable rhythm. I anticipate we’ll also see more retrofits of existing facilities.
At the same time, distributed and on-site power generation will grow in importance as data centre demand continues to strain the grid.
Utilities will need significant investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure to keep pace, and the industry will need to come together to form a strong ecosystem, driven by close collaboration, to accomplish some of these objectives.
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