Modular builds back AI infrastructure

A China Mobile data center expansion in Hohhot, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region has passed its completion inspection after 211 days of construction that unfolded both on site and on factory production lines.

At the project, equipment for computing, cooling and backup power was assembled into prefabricated units. These were transported to the site to form two server buildings and supporting power facilities.

The contractor, China Construction Third Bureau First Engineering Co Ltd, coordinated factory production with work on the ground, according to its chief engineer, Du Junzi.

"Coordinating design, purchasing and production early allows work that traditionally happens in sequence to proceed at the same time," he said.

While site teams prepared foundations, factory workers assembled equipment, wiring and pipework. The units could then be lifted into place and connected, reducing the installation work left for the site.

Making that process run smoothly starts on the drawing board. Teams check that connections match, delivery routes are clear and there is room for maintenance. Standardized connections also allow equipment to be added as demand grows.

For operators, that flexibility matters. Large-scale artificial intelligence services need buildings that can accommodate computing equipment and keep it supplied with electricity and cooling as workloads change.

The International Energy Agency expects global data centers to use nearly twice as much electricity in 2030 as in 2025. It identifies power supply, grid connections and equipment manufacturing among the constraints on expansion.

China's "east data, west computing" initiative seeks to draw on regions with suitable energy and other resources to serve computing demand, including that from eastern economic centers.

Du said the company selects cooling systems to suit project conditions and applies technologies including natural cooling and heat recovery.

The goal is to help facilities operate efficiently throughout their working lives.

A facility's environmental performance also depends on the electricity it uses, making energy supply and operating efficiency important considerations alongside the way it is built.

Teams simulated power outages and cooling failures in Hohhot to check whether backup systems responded as intended. Those checks bring the work on factory floors and construction sites together: the separate units must function as a dependable facility, ready to support the computing services for which it was designed.

Contact the writers at liukun@chinadaily.com.cn