Hitachi Energy, NVIDIA unveil 800 VDC power system for AI data centres
Hitachi Energy has announced its collaboration with NVIDIA to develop an 800-volt direct-current (VDC) power architecture for data centres supporting artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The new system is based on open standards that aim to scale data centre capacity and streamline the flow of electricity from the grid into servers. Hitachi Energy's advanced grid-to-rack architecture will support NVIDIA's Kyber 800 VDC rack design, which aims to simplify and improve power systems used in modern data centres.
According to the companies, this approach is expected to lower energy waste, reduce cooling needs, and assist in the deployment of hyperscale AI facilities by making power delivery more efficient and sustainable. The initiative responds to the increasing demands placed on data centres by advanced AI workloads, which are said to have outgrown the capabilities of traditional power delivery designs.
Market trends
Projections suggest that global development of AI-specific data centre capacity could reach up to 125 gigawatts (GW) between 2025 and 2030. This figure is roughly equivalent to the total installed generation capacity of Spain. Meeting such energy demand requires significant investment and technology advancement in both computing and electricity infrastructure.
Hitachi Energy is currently expanding its operations with a global investment of USD $9 billion, aimed at manufacturing, research and development, engineering, and partnerships. This includes a dedicated USD $1 billion expansion to boost the production of grid solutions within the United States, focused on building up the future capability to power both data centres and the grid at large.
Industry support
"As the energy arm of the Hitachi Group, Hitachi Energy brings over a century of expertise in grid technologies and power electronics to this collaboration. Through our wider focus on the data centre industry, the Hitachi Group's combined expertise enables clean and sustainable development of the AI factories of the future."
The statement was made by Jun Taniguchi, Senior Vice President and Executive Officer, CEO of Strategic SIB Business Unit, Hitachi.
With the support for 800 VDC architecture, the initiative is intended to provide a pathway to larger and more energy-efficient AI facilities globally. The new grid-to-rack model is positioned to make significant contributions towards the challenges faced by data centre operators as electricity demand grows in parallel with the expansion of AI capabilities.
Technological developments
Modern AI operations within data centres require robust power systems, as traditional approaches are being pressed by much heavier computational loads. The industry shift to direct-current architectures-such as the 800 VDC solution co-developed by Hitachi Energy and NVIDIA-addresses these new requirements by optimising how energy is distributed and consumed.
The collaboration is part of a wider trend within the data and computing sector to co-develop physical infrastructure that can keep pace with generative AI and high-performance computing demand. By focusing on open standards and interoperable architectures, both companies aim to drive industry-wide adoption more quickly.
Expansion plans
Hitachi Energy has a history of investing in high-voltage technology, transformers, grid automation, and digital infrastructure. The company's current investments place an emphasis on creating a more robust and future-ready electricity grid, capable of addressing rising power consumption from sectors such as AI, cloud, and hyperscale computing.
Within Hitachi Group, the Strategic Social Innovation Business (SIB) Business Unit is using internal resources to identify growth opportunities related to data centres. Jun Taniguchi is set to lead this unit from Silicon Valley, with a focus on incorporating emerging technologies and business models.
This initiative follows a previous collaboration announcement between Hitachi and NVIDIA, which sought to accelerate digital transformation with generative AI technology.
The expansion and modernisation of power delivery systems is expected to play a decisive role in the global development of next-generation technologies, especially as companies seek to address the substantial sustainability challenges associated with high-density computational infrastructure.
