Schneider Electric's new WCDU coolant distribution unit delivers up to 3.5MW of cooling capacity at 1.5 liters per minute per kilowatt. The product targets AI data centers running hybrid air and liquid-cooled racks in the same hall, where operators must mix cooling types across AI and traditional server populations.

At a higher flow rate, a single WCDU reaches 2.5MW at 2 L/min/kW.

The unit joins the Motivair by Schneider Electric range, which the company described as the most powerful CDU in its lineup. Up to 20 WCDUs can run as a coordinated system, producing clusters with up to 70MW of total cooling capacity.

What does the WCDU do differently?

Schneider designed the unit for halls that pair fan-wall air cooling with liquid cooling loops. The CDU is optimized for the technical corridor, outside the white space.

Operators can adjust the air-to-liquid balance without fully redesigning the data hall, according to Schneider. That flexibility addresses a transition now hitting most large operators: liquid loops for AI workloads, air cooling for traditional cloud and enterprise servers, running side by side.

Schneider positions the WCDU for facilities adding liquid capacity to existing air-cooled halls, where rack densities are climbing fastest.

What capacity does each unit deliver?

• 3.5MW per unit at 1.5 L/min/kW
• 2.5MW per unit at 2 L/min/kW
• Up to 20 units coordinated in one system
• Up to 70MW cluster ceiling
• Technical-corridor siting, outside white space
• Fan-wall integration for hybrid air and liquid topologies

How does Schneider position the product?

The vendor calls the WCDU the only CDU on the market that integrates liquid and air cooling in a single unit. The framing targets operators who must add liquid capacity to existing air-cooled facilities without decommissioning infrastructure already in service.

"As the only CDU that brings together both liquid and air cooling within a single solution, we're delivering a level of flexibility the market hasn't seen before," said Andrew Bradner, senior vice president of the cooling business at Schneider Electric.

"This approach allows operators to deploy more efficiently, support a wider range of liquid cooling infrastructure configurations, and significantly reduce time to deployment," Bradner said.

The unit enters the Motivair portfolio following Schneider's 2025 acquisition of Motivair, a liquid-cooling specialist whose original products served HPC and supercomputing customers. Schneider has not said whether Motivair's existing CDUs will continue alongside the WCDU or be phased out.

When does the WCDU ship?

Schneider will begin shipping the unit in selected regions next month. US pre-orders open in early 2027.

The company has not disclosed list pricing, named channel partners, or a full regional schedule. It also did not name the markets inside the early shipment window.

The launch lands in a CDU market responding to the transition to liquid cooling for AI workloads. Many data center firms still run air cooling for traditional cloud and enterprise servers, Schneider said, creating demand for hybrid air and liquid products.