Australia’s $26 Billion Data Centre Surge

Australia stands at the forefront of a digital infrastructure transformation. With the rise of cloud computing, AI workloads, edge networking, and a national push for digital sovereignty, demand for data storage and processing capacity has skyrocketed. In response, the country is undergoing an extraordinary data centre development boom—investment in data centre infrastructure is forecast to exceed AUD $26 billion by 2030, positioning Australia as one of the most dynamic data hub markets in the Asia-Pacific region¹.

From hyperscale developments in Sydney’s Macquarie Park and Melbourne’s western suburbs to emerging edge facilities in Brisbane, Perth, and Canberra, the national footprint is expanding rapidly. This explosive growth is being driven by:

• Government mandates for sovereign data and digital infrastructure.
• Cloud providers and hyperscalers like AWS, Google, and Microsoft.
• Enterprises shifting to AI and high-density compute architectures.

But as megawatts of processing power pour into smaller footprints, a challenge becomes unavoidable: how to efficiently and affordably cool it all.

The Heat is On: Why Cooling Can Make or Break Data Centres

Cooling now accounts for up to 40% of a data centre’s total energy use, making it one of the largest cost and sustainability pressures on operators.

Traditional air cooling is nearing its limits. High-performance environments—especially those involving GPU clusters or HPC workloads—routinely exceed 30kW per rack, and air simply lacks the heat removal capacity required.

That’s why water-based liquid cooling is rapidly becoming not just more efficient, but operationally essential. As a 2024 peer-reviewed study notes:

“Air cooling cannot meet the cooling demands of future high-power data centres, and water cooling technology is imperative to ensure system reliability and reduce power consumption”.²

What’s more, liquid cooling opens up opportunities to recover and reuse waste heat, transforming by-product energy into a secondary resource. A 2015 energy systems review explains:

“Waste heat from data centres can be reused for heating buildings, domestic hot water supply, and even for absorption cooling… and may contribute to the overall energy efficiency and environmental performance of data centres”.³

Flowtherm: Enabling Smarter, Cooler Data Centres—Affordably

Flowtherm Australia provides the components that drive next-generation cooling infrastructure. But unlike premium brands designed for sterile, pharmaceutical or food-grade applications, Flowtherm’s equipment is tailored to industrial environments—like water-based cooling circuits for data centres—where hygienic features are unnecessary and overpriced.

Why Pay for Hygiene You Don’t Need?

Many valve brands supply ultra-polished, hygienic-grade systems suited for consumable fluid transfer. Data centres don’t need that. Our equipment is engineered for industrial-grade performance at a significantly lower cost—without the sanitary price tag.

By using high-grade materials like 316L stainless steel and a non-retention “clean” design, we meet the practical requirements of liquid cooling—without charging you for features you’ll never use.

Smart, Durable, and Economical Valve Systems

• 2-piece and 3-piece Full Flow Ball Valves – Minimal pressure drop, long-lasting performance.
• Lockable in Open/Closed Positions – Operational control and security.
• Bubble-Tight, Leak-Proof Sealing – Avoid system loss and ensure efficiency.
• 316 & 316L Stainless Steel Construction – Built to resist corrosion and wear.
• Non-Retention Internal Design – Keeps your flow path clean, with no internal dead zones.
• Competitively Priced – High value without the high markup.

Also available: Butterfly, Angle Seat, Proportional Control, and Mixproof Valves with digital and smart control tops (I/O Link, AS-I, Device-Net, and more).

A Growing Network of Industry Partnerships

Flowtherm doesn’t just offer products—we build partnerships. We’re proud to collaborate with leading global technology providers who share our vision for efficient, scalable cooling infrastructure. We’d like to emphasise two key examples of new technology tailored to cooling data centres.

Venair

Reliable fluid transfer is just as critical as valves and heat exchangers in a liquid cooling loop. Poor hose performance can lead to permeability losses, contamination, or premature failure—risks that data centre operators simply can’t afford.

That’s why Flowtherm partners with Venair, a global specialist in high-performance hose solutions engineered for demanding thermal management applications, including data centre liquid cooling systems.

Venair’s Vena® Thermic range is purpose-built to handle the pressures of modern cooling environments:

• Vena® Thermic Flex (Silicone) – Designed for extreme conditions, with an operating range of -60°C to +200°C, ideal for high-temperature and dynamic systems.
• Vena® Thermic Core (Hybrid Elastomer) – A balanced solution offering flexibility and durability across -50°C to +130°C.
• Vena® Thermic Flow (EPDM) – A cost-effective option for standard cooling circuits, operating between -40°C to +120°C.

Engineered for Closed-Loop Cooling Performance

Venair hoses are specifically designed to support the performance and reliability requirements of liquid cooling systems:

• Low Permeability – Reduces coolant loss and helps maintain system efficiency over time.
• High Chemical Compatibility – Minimises contamination risk and protects coolant quality.
• Low Conductivity Transfer (Low Elution) – Supports safe operation in sensitive electronic environments.
• Resistance to Thermal Ageing & Oxidation – Ensures long service life under continuous load.

Built for Integration and Scalability

Venair solutions are designed for straightforward integration into modern cooling infrastructure:

• UL-94 V0 Certified Constructions – Supporting fire safety requirements
• Wide Range of Connection Standards – Including TC, DIN 11851, SMS, Camlock, and RJT
• Quick-Connect UQD Fittings – Enabling faster installation and easier maintenance

By combining Venair’s advanced hose technology with Flowtherm’s valves, pumps, and heat exchange systems, operators can build fully integrated cooling loops that deliver reliability, efficiency, and long-term value—without overengineering or unnecessary cost.

Kelvion

Flowtherm works alongside companies like Kelvion, a global specialist in heat exchanger technology. Kelvion’s advanced data centre solutions—including air-to-liquid and liquid-to-liquid heat exchangers—are designed for modular scalability, high reliability, and energy efficiency.⁴

By combining Flowtherm’s robust flow control solutions with Kelvion’s advanced heat transfer systems, our clients benefit from:

• Integrated, turnkey cooling circuit components.
• Compatibility between valves, exchangers, and pumps.
• Local support backed by international experience.

Together, we help data centre developers deploy future-ready cooling systems that deliver performance, sustainability, and ROI.

Beyond Valves: The Full Flowtherm Ecosystem

We support your entire water cooling loop with:

• Pumps – High-efficiency and long-lasting.
• Heat Exchangers – Optimised for compact, high-density installs.
• Filters, Strainers, Mixers & Tank Equipment
• Expert Aftersales Support – Fast answers, fast turnaround, always local.

Flowtherm: Practical Innovation, Proven Value

Australia’s data centre future is smart, scalable, and energy-conscious. With Flowtherm, operators get the cooling performance they need at a cost that makes sense.

No sterile polish. No pharma pricing. Just engineered components designed for uptime, reliability, and efficiency—delivered by an Australian partner that understands the local landscape and global best practices.

Footnotes

1. Australia’s Data Centre Investment to Exceed $26bn by 2030, ITBrief Australia, 2024. https://itbrief.com.au/story/australia-s-data–centre-investment-to-exceed-26bn-by-2030
2. Zhou, Z., Li, X., & Wu, Z. (2024). Thermal performance evaluation and optimization of cold plate liquid cooling system for high-power data centres. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 224, 125123. “Air cooling cannot meet the cooling demands of future high-power data centres, and water cooling technology is imperative to ensure system reliability and reduce power consumption.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359431124007804
3. Oró, E., Depoorter, V., Salom, J., & Garcia, A. (2015). Energy efficiency and renewable energy integration in data centres. Strategies and modelling review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 42, 429–445. “Waste heat from data centres can be reused for heating buildings, domestic hot water supply, and even for absorption cooling… and may contribute to the overall energy efficiency and environmental performance of data centres.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032113008216
4. Kelvion Industry Solutions – Data Centre Cooling, Kelvion. https://www.kelvion.com/industry-solutions/data–centre