How Caterpillar and Vertiv are Powering Data Centre Builds

Vertiv and Caterpillar have established a strategic collaboration to deliver integrated power and cooling solutions for the data centre industry.

The partnership is designed to address the significant energy challenges emerging from the increasing use of AI by providing a unified framework for on-site power generation and thermal management.

From a construction perspective, the agreement introduces pre-designed and tested architectures that combine Caterpillar’s power systems with Vertiv’s cooling and electrical distribution technologies.

The initiative responds to a growing trend where data centre operators are developing on-site generation capabilities to support high-density AI workloads.

These advanced facilities require a substantial amount of power, which can place a heavy burden on local electrical grids.

Consequently, operators are exploring alternative power sources such as natural gas turbines and reciprocating engines to secure stable and independent energy supplies.

This collaboration intends to offer a more streamlined approach for the construction of these complex power systems.

Streamlining data centre construction with integrated power

At its core, the partnership focuses on integrating Caterpillar’s power generation equipment, including its Solar Turbines portfolio, with Vertiv’s modular systems for power distribution and cooling. By creating pre-engineered reference designs, operators could accelerate the deployment of new data centres and simplify the building process.

An integrated approach allows for a more cohesive design process from the beginning, which could reduce potential interoperability issues and optimise overall system performance.

Gio Albertazzi, CEO at Vertiv, says: “This collaboration with Caterpillar and Solar Turbines is a cornerstone of our Bring Your Own Power & Cooling (BYOP&C) strategy and aligns seamlessly with our grid-to-chip framework by offering resilient, on-site power generation solutions.

"By combining our complementary technologies, portfolios and expertise, we are enabling coordinated integration. Our pre-engineered, interoperability-tested building blocks let customers execute design, build and deploy concurrently, with predictable system performance.”

Meeting AI's energy demands in hyperscale builds

The expansion of AI has driven a substantial increase in the power and cooling infrastructure required for modern data centre operations. The energy-intensive nature of AI training clusters puts pressure on operators to source reliable and scalable infrastructure solutions.

The collaboration between Vertiv and Caterpillar is positioned as a direct response to this challenge. It provides a pathway for data centres to secure necessary power without being solely dependent on the grid.

“As AI workloads continue to accelerate, the demand for robust and scalable power infrastructure and cooling is becoming increasingly critical,” explains Jason Kaiser, Group President of Caterpillar Power & Energy.

"Our collaboration with Vertiv will enable us to deliver integrated, on-site energy solutions that lower PUE and meet customers' evolving needs.”

For many in the construction industry, long waiting times for grid connections have become a major bottleneck that slows the development of new hyperscale facilities, making on-site power generation a more practical option.

Modular designs for faster time-to-power

One advantage of this collaboration is its focus on modular design, which could shorten the time-to-power for new facilities.

Vertiv’s modular blocks, which contain uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, switchgear and cooling units, are pre-configured to work with Caterpillar’s generators.

This set-up allows construction and systems integration to happen in parallel rather than sequentially, potentially reducing overall project timelines. The approach could also lead to improvements in a facility’s Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), particularly when combined heat and power systems are used to capture and reuse waste heat.

The collaboration also underscores the importance of reducing reliance on local grids. While complete grid independence may not be the primary goal for most operators, the ability to generate a large portion of power on-site is valuable, particularly in regions with constrained energy infrastructure.

To support these deployments, both companies will provide lifecycle support through their global service networks, offering maintenance for the entire power and cooling infrastructure.