Intel certifies ExxonMobil immersion cooling fluids for Xeon

ExxonMobil's single-phase immersion cooling fluids have been certified by Intel for use with its fourth and fifth-generation Xeon processors following a series of rigorous validation tests. This development gives data centre operators access to a cooling solution that comes with an Intel warranty rider when these fluids are paired with the supported processors.

Certification milestone

Intel completed thorough immersion validation at its Advanced Datacenter Development Labs. ExxonMobil's fluids, which are designed to manage heat in data centre hardware, received the Intel Data Centre Certified designation. This allows for warranty support not only with specific tanks and IT equipment but also in other system configurations where the certified fluids are applied.

As part of the collaboration, partners including Baltimore Aircoil Company, Hypertec, and Micron Technology supported the testing and validation. Together, the firms tested the compatibility of ExxonMobil's fluids with both Intel servers and memory modules in full rack-scale immersion environments.

Energy efficiency drive

The introduction of Intel's warranty rider is intended to bolster operator confidence in adopting liquid-based cooling. As global data centre energy demand is forecast to rise 20% within the next five years, operators face increasing pressure to improve energy efficiency, reduce water consumption, and extend hardware life.

Industry estimates suggest that cooling can account for as much as 30-40% of data centre energy use. Single-phase immersion cooling offers an alternative to conventional air-based systems, using non-conductive, low-viscosity fluids to remove heat more efficiently from components and infrastructure.

Industry collaboration

Intel and ExxonMobil's assessment followed a strategic agreement first put in place in early 2024 to develop and validate liquid cooling technologies specifically for Intel's Xeon processor lines. The companies focused on ensuring the reliability, performance, and warranty coverage of equipment operating under immersion cooling conditions.

"We are pleased to provide Intel Data Centre Certified designation for ExxonMobil's immersion cooling fluids after rigorous testing with our 5th Gen Intel Xeon Processors. This warranty-backed solution gives data center operators confidence in a proven thermal management approach for their growing computational needs," said Rami Khouri, Vice President, Data Centre Group, Intel.

"This Intel Data Centre Certified designation for Immersion Cooling Solution represents confidence of ExxonMobil's immersion cooling fluids by the world's largest chip manufacturer. This is the result from a collaborative effort to help customers improve operations and support the growing data center market," said Ali Westwood, Global Marketing Manager, ExxonMobil Product Solutions Company.

Supporting partners

The validation included equipment from Baltimore Aircoil Company for immersion tanks and Hypertec for servers specifically designed for immersion. Micron Technology's memory modules were also part of the evaluation. The partners emphasised the need for solutions that work reliably across a range of environments and use cases, including high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence, and edge computing.

"Immersion cooling, we feel, is vital to the future of sustainable data center growth. BAC's COBALT system with patented CorTex technology helps deliver the lowest PUE and the highest reliability. This new certification further reinforces our commitments to support that growth, adding an extra layer of assurance to provide data center customers with a trusted, seamless, and superior experience," said Jan Tysebaert, General Manager for Data Centres at BAC.

"Immersion cooling systems must be co-developed with feedback loops from diverse end-user environments including data centers, HPC, AI and edge computing to ensure solutions are thermally efficient, adaptable, and aligned with real-world deployment constraints. This collaboration will not only strengthen Hypertec's product development, but secure our leadership in immersion far into the future," said Darcy Letemplier, Vice President of Global Engineering at Hypertec.

"We are pleased to provide Intel Data Centre Certified designation for ExxonMobil's immersion cooling fluids after rigorous testing with our 5th Gen Intel Xeon Processors. This warranty-backed solution gives data center operators confidence in a proven thermal management approach for their growing computational needs," said Rami Khouri, Vice President, Data Centre Group, Intel.