Data Center Power Crisis Solved? Veir's Superconductor Tech Promises Multi-Megawatt Future!

Tech

|

Updated on 12 Nov 2025, 06:18 pm

The insatiable demand for power by data centers, driven by AI and cloud computing, is outstripping the capabilities of traditional electrical infrastructure. Power requirements per rack have ballooned from tens of kilowatts to hundreds, with projections reaching 600 kilowatts and even multi-megawatts per rack in the near future. This escalating demand poses significant design challenges, particularly concerning the bulk and heat generated by low-voltage copper cables.

Veir, a Microsoft-backed startup, is addressing this bottleneck by adapting its superconducting electrical cable technology for direct use within data centers. Their first product is a system designed to deliver 3 megawatts of low-voltage power. Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity with zero energy loss, but they require cryogenic cooling, typically below freezing temperatures. Veir's system uses liquid nitrogen coolant (-196°C) to maintain the superconductors. These cables require 20 times less space than copper cables while potentially carrying power five times farther.

The company has already built a simulation near its Massachusetts headquarters and plans to pilot the technology in select data centers next year, with a commercial launch anticipated in 2027. Veir CEO Tim Heidel notes that the data center industry's pace of evolution and problem-solving is significantly faster than that of traditional utility transmission. This shift is driven by data center operators facing critical internal power distribution challenges.

Impact: This innovation could revolutionize data center design and efficiency, enabling the construction of much more powerful and compact facilities crucial for AI development and cloud services. This could lead to significant advancements and cost efficiencies in the digital infrastructure sector. Rating: 9/10.

Difficult Terms: * **Data Center**: A facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. * **Kilowatt (kW)**: A unit of power equal to 1,000 watts. It's a measure of how much energy is used or produced per unit of time. * **Megawatt (MW)**: A unit of power equal to 1,000,000 watts. It's a much larger unit of power than a kilowatt, equivalent to 1,000 kilowatts. * **Multi-megawatt Racks**: Refers to server racks within a data center that can handle power outputs of several megawatts each. This indicates extremely high-density computing and power consumption. * **Superconducting Electrical Cables**: Cables made from materials that can conduct electricity with virtually no resistance, meaning no energy is lost as heat. They require very low temperatures to function. * **Low-voltage Electricity**: Electrical current supplied at relatively low voltages, typically used for internal power distribution within buildings and equipment. * **Cryogenic Cooling**: The process of cooling materials to extremely low temperatures, often far below zero degrees Celsius, necessary for superconductors to work. * **Liquid Nitrogen Coolant**: Nitrogen gas cooled to a liquid state at extremely low temperatures (-196°C), used as a coolant for superconducting materials. * **Systems Integrator**: A company that combines subsystems into a larger system, ensuring they function together as intended.