ABB, NVIDIA team up to power the next generation of AI data centres

• ABB to help develop NVIDIA’s 800-volt DC architecture for future gigawatt-scale data centers.
• Collaboration targets higher efficiency and scalability as AI drives soaring global power demand.
• ABB’s solid-state and UPS technologies form the backbone of new high-density power systems.

As artificial intelligence transforms the digital economy, the humble data center is becoming one of the world’s biggest power consumers. Meeting that demand is pushing engineers to rethink how electricity flows through racks of servers.

ABB said Monday it will work with NVIDIA to develop new electrical systems capable of delivering power more efficiently to the next generation of AI data centres. The partnership will focus on 800-volt direct-current (DC) architecture designed to handle the one-megawatt server racks expected in NVIDIA’s upcoming designs.

The goal is to create data centres that can scale up to gigawatt levels while minimizing energy loss. ABB will contribute its expertise in solid-state electronics, DC distribution, and uninterruptible power supplies, which together form the foundation of advanced electrical infrastructure.

Giampiero Frisio, president of ABB Electrification, said the company had been an early investor in the technologies that would enable future AI power systems. “We are leading the development of new power distribution technologies that will create the next generation of data centres,” he said. “Our collaboration with NVIDIA on 800-volt DC architectures is one of the many ways we are helping the data centre community meet AI’s growing power demands.”

The scale of those demands is rising sharply. Global data centre capacity is forecast to grow from 80 gigawatts in 2024 to around 220 gigawatts by 2030, according to Dell’Oro Group, with artificial-intelligence workloads responsible for roughly 70% of that increase. Capital spending across the sector could surpass $1 trillion over the same period.

Dion Harris, senior director for high-performance computing and AI infrastructure at NVIDIA, said new approaches to power distribution were essential. “As AI demands continue to grow, data centres require designs that improve efficiency and simplify operations,” he said.

ABB’s technology portfolio already includes the HiPerGuard medium-voltage uninterruptible power supply, the first solid-state system of its kind, and the SACE Infinitus solid-state circuit breaker, which allows precise control of direct-current power flows. These innovations, the company said, help increase power density and reduce energy losses in AI-heavy facilities.

For ABB, the partnership underscores its growing role at the intersection of electrification and computing. For NVIDIA, it ensures the power foundations of its AI infrastructure can keep pace with the intelligence running on top