Aggreko urges data centres to review cooling plans

Aggreko has urged data centre managers to review cooling strategies ahead of expected extreme weather, as scientists track elevated global sea temperatures and the return of an El Niño cycle.

Ageing cooling equipment could struggle during periods of high heat, increasing the risk of lower efficiency, overheating and system failure. Operators should assess whether existing infrastructure can cope with hotter conditions before peak summer demand arrives, Aggreko said.

Figures cited by the company show global sea temperatures reached 21C in April, the second-highest level on record for that month. Aggreko said those conditions align with scientists' warnings that another El Niño warming cycle could intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.

For data centres, the challenge comes as rack densities rise and cooling systems face greater strain. Operators are under pressure not only to maintain uptime, but also to manage the financial impact of outages when heat places extra demand on infrastructure.

Industry figures cited by Aggreko show cooling accounted for 14% of impactful outages in the Uptime Institute's 2026 outage analysis, making it the second-largest contributor after power. The analysis also found that one-fifth of respondents said their most recent outage cost more than USD $1 million.

Chris Smith, Head of Temperature Control at Aggreko, said recent hot weather offers a warning for this year.

"We need only look back at 2024 to see what El Niño might have in store for us this year. Summer temperatures regularly exceeded 30°C, placing immense pressure on data centre cooling infrastructure and even leading to full-blown equipment failure in worst-case scenarios.

"The reality is, current cooling strategies simply aren't designed to deal with this kind of weather or to operate in these temperature ranges. Now is the time to review cooling infrastructure and assess whether it is still fit for purpose, so the right measures can be put in place ahead of time.

"The main thing to look out for is ageing assets, as these are at the greatest risk of lower efficiency, overheating and failure. Engaging a specialist temperature control partner can help implement temporary cooling and industrial HVAC solutions to bridge gaps during equipment failures, manage seasonal demand peaks and provide N+1 redundancy for greater operational resilience."

Cooling pressure

The warning reflects a broader challenge for the data centre sector as computing demand grows and facilities run denser equipment in tighter footprints. More heat generated inside server halls requires cooling systems that can respond quickly to spikes in demand, especially during prolonged periods of high external temperatures.

Aggreko pointed to temporary cooling and industrial HVAC systems as one option for operators needing additional support without immediately replacing permanent plant. These systems can be used during equipment failures, maintenance periods or seasonal peaks in load.

The company also highlighted hybrid packages that combine battery energy storage systems with temporary chillers or cold storage units. In this set-up, the cooling unit adds supplementary capacity while the battery system supplies power.

Aggreko said data centre operators are showing greater interest in these arrangements as they look for ways to add resilience without relying solely on conventional generators. It added that the model can help sites manage short-term cooling gaps while reducing noise.

Smith said operators should use the current period to reassess cooling plans and identify where systems may need support.

"While we'll have to wait and see what the summer has planned for us, now is nonetheless a prime time to re-evaluate cooling strategies and identify where efficiency gains can be made. Procuring temporary cooling from a third-party specialist not only allows access to the latest high-efficiency technology, but also opens the door to a number of creative solutions, such as hybridisation, which just aren't feasible in-house.

"While cooling is just one of the challenges that data centre managers have to contend with at the moment, the gains it can deliver, alongside the resilience it provides against the threat of outages, make it a worthwhile operational solution - delivering flexibility and resilience without the need for capital expenditure, thanks to the hire-based model."