ABB has successfully implemented the UK’s first medium-voltage uninterruptible power supply system for AI workloads at Ark Data Centres’ Surrey campus, aiming to enhance efficiency, reduce generator usage, and create space for dense compute.
In collaboration with Ark Data Centres and engineering firm JCA, the new UPS system is tailored to support Ark’s upcoming AI hub at the campus, set to house the UK’s initial deployment of NVIDIA Blackwell B300 GPUs, renowned for their superior AI capabilities.
This innovative system is custom-designed to accommodate high-performance GPUs for large-scale AI training and inference. ABB’s medium-voltage power design integrates the grid connection and UPS at medium voltage, rather than converting early to low voltage, ensuring optimal performance for AI workloads.
Revolutionizing AI with Medium Voltage Architecture
The introduction of ABB’s MV UPS marks a significant advancement in the site’s power architecture. By incorporating the UPS at the medium voltage level alongside switchgear and controls, the system is seamlessly integrated for enhanced efficiency and reliability, specifically tailored for emerging AI workloads.
Stephen Gibbs, UK Distribution Solutions Marketing and Sales Director at ABB Electrification, emphasized the importance of designing data centers to meet the demands of future high-density racks, highlighting ABB’s medium-voltage UPS technology as a critical solution for powering next-generation servers.
Delivered as a comprehensive turnkey solution, ABB’s medium voltage data center architecture combines HiPerGuard UPS technology, UniGear MV switchgear, and Zenon ZEE600 control system into a unified system, eliminating interface complexities and streamlining the design, installation, and commissioning process.
Enhancing Efficiency and Sustainability
The MV UPS system can deliver up to 25MVA of conditioned power for the campus, achieving up to 98% efficiency at high load, thereby reducing electrical losses and minimizing waste heat that needs to be managed by the cooling system.
By stabilizing power at the medium-voltage level, Ark and ABB anticipate a decrease in reliance on standby generators, leading to reduced fuel consumption, noise levels, and supporting Ark’s commitment to operating environmentally friendly facilities.
Operating power distribution and UPS at medium voltage rather than low voltage allows for more space allocation within the building for IT infrastructure, enabling the creation of additional floor space for AI computing racks to accommodate high-density GPU deployments.
