Intel has certified Shell Plc’s lubricant-based cooling method for use in AI data centers.

This certification follows a two-year trial by Intel to evaluate the technology’s efficiency and performance.

The cooling method uses special fluids to reduce energy use in facilities that typically rely on power-hungry fans to manage heat from AI workloads.

Intel’s principal engineer, Samantha Yates, said immersion cooling could cut energy use by 48% and reduce capital and operating costs by up to 33%.

Shell’s cooling solution is the first to be certified by a major chipmaker, and Intel now offers a dedicated immersion rider warranty to support adoption.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Oil majors strategically pivot toward the AI boom through cooling technology

The Intel-Shell certification represents a new diversification strategy for oil companies facing energy transition pressures.

Multiple oil majors are targeting the data center cooling market, with Shell leveraging its gas-to-liquids technology expertise, BP developing immersion cooling fluids through its Castrol division, and ExxonMobil collaborating directly with Intel on cooling solutions for Xeon processors1.

This trend also includes Exxon working to supply emission-free electricity to data centers via natural gas plants equipped with carbon capture, while Chevron forms partnerships with hyperscalers like Amazon and Meta.

These strategic moves allow oil companies to capitalize on the projected doubling of data center electricity demand by 2030, which will reach 945 TWh globally according to the IEA2.

The diversification demonstrates how traditional energy companies are finding new revenue opportunities at the intersection of their existing expertise in thermal management and the growth of AI infrastructure.

2️⃣ Immersion cooling addresses critical efficiency barriers as AI power demands surge

The certification comes at a crucial moment when data centers face unprecedented energy challenges from AI workloads.

Research shows cooling fans now consume electricity at rates rivaling the computers themselves, making the 48% energy reduction potential of immersion cooling systems particularly significant3.