Shell has become the first company to have its immersion cooling fluids officially certified by a major chipmaker, after Intel approved the lubricants for use with its Xeon processors.

The endorsement follows two years of joint testing, although it should be noted other cooling fluids have received certification from other sources – GR Cooling, for example, offers a certification scheme dubbed ‘ElectroSafe’, which includes cooling fluids from a range of different companies, including Shell, Total Energies, and Castrol. It is notable that Intel has certified its first immersion cooling fluid, however. 

According to Jason Wong, Global Executive Vice President, Shell Lubricants, “Upgrading existing air‑cooling methods with immersion fluids can reduce data centre energy use by up to 48%, as well as help reduce capital and operating expenditure by up to 33%.”

He noted, “We have been working with Intel for the last two years to certify our immersion cooling fluids, which have the potential to transform the way that data centres are cooled and how much energy they use.”

The results of Intel’s laboratory work showed that processors running in the Shell fluid remained as reliable as those in conventional racks .

 “We’re pleased to be partnering with Shell in accelerating the adoption of more sustainable and energy‑efficient solutions for data centres,” said Karin Eibschitz Segal, Corporate Vice President and Interim General Manager of the Data Centre Group at Intel. “

Through these advancements we’re paving the way for the next generation of high‑performance, environmentally conscious computing.”