Beijing: Google is in talks with Chinese company Envicool and other suppliers to purchase advanced cooling systems for its data centres, as the rapid growth of artificial intelligence increases pressure on global infrastructure.
According to sources familiar with the matter, a procurement team from Google’s Taiwan operations recently visited China to explore supply options. The move reflects the growing urgency among major technology firms to secure reliable cooling solutions as traditional systems struggle to handle the heat generated by powerful AI workloads.
Modern AI data centres use high performance chips that produce much more heat than earlier systems. This has made liquid cooling technology increasingly important, as it is more efficient than air based cooling and helps maintain stable performance.
The talks with Chinese suppliers come at a time when the global supply of key components for data centre cooling is tight. Companies are now competing not only for semiconductors but also for the equipment needed to support large scale AI operations, including cooling systems, power units and networking hardware.
Envicool has emerged as a strong player in this space, supported by rising demand within China and its growing manufacturing capacity. The company is also working on specialised cooling distribution units designed to meet the needs of large clients like Google. Other Chinese firms are also expanding their presence in the sector, adding to competition.
At the same time, Google continues to work with suppliers in Taiwan, showing that it is maintaining a diversified supply chain across regions.
Industry analysts say the global market for liquid cooling in data centres is growing rapidly and could exceed 17 billion dollars this year. The expansion is being driven by the surge in AI applications, which require more powerful and energy intensive computing systems.
The development also highlights a broader shift in the technology industry. As companies race to build advanced AI systems, attention is turning to the physical infrastructure that supports them. Cooling has now become a critical factor in determining how fast and efficiently data centres can expand.
Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, the discussions also show that global technology supply chains remain interconnected, with companies continuing to seek the most effective solutions regardless of location.
Experts note that while liquid cooling can improve efficiency, the rising number of AI data centres could still increase overall energy and water use, raising new environmental concerns.
Google’s move underlines how the next phase of the AI race will depend not only on computing power, but also on the systems that keep it running.