How Liquid Cooling Enhances Google TPU v8’s Efficiency

On April 22, 2026, Google officially unveiled its eighth-generation TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), the v8, marking a major milestone in the evolution of AI hardware. The TPU v8 introduces a full transition to liquid cooling technology, leaving behind traditional air-cooling systems. This decision is part of Google Cloud's continued push toward improving cooling efficiency and reducing carbon emissions in its hyperscale data centers.

 

With this move, Google’s vast TPU supply chain is shifting away from traditional air-cooling solutions to a more energy-efficient liquid cooling ecosystem. The TPU v8, used for both AI training (Sunfish) and inference (Zebrafish), is now being deployed in the Superpod environment with a cold plate liquid cooling system, drastically improving thermal management and energy efficiency.

 

In this article, we will explore the key suppliers benefiting from Google’s shift toward liquid cooling for TPU v8 and how this evolution is shaping the future of data center infrastructure.

 

 

The Benefits of Liquid Cooling in TPU v8

The transition to liquid cooling for TPU v8 brings several key advantages, particularly in terms of cooling efficiency and power density. Unlike traditional air-cooling systems, liquid cooling systems offer significantly higher heat dissipation, which is essential for handling the extreme power demands of AI workloads. TPU v8 racks can now support higher power densities, reaching several times the thermal efficiency of air-cooling systems.

 

Moreover, liquid cooling is more environmentally friendly. As global carbon emission regulations tighten, the need for energy-efficient cooling solutions has never been more critical. Liquid cooling is expected to save more than 30% in energy consumption, playing a vital role in Google’s goal of reducing the carbon footprint of its data centers.

For TPU v8, the implementation of liquid cooling systems has also contributed to a reduction in the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) below 1.1, ensuring that Google's data centers remain at the forefront of energy efficiency.

 

 

Liquid Cooling and the Tight Space Constraints of TPU v8

Another challenge that liquid cooling addresses is the extremely tight spacing within TPU v8 racks. In order to minimize network latency, TPU chips need to be placed in close proximity to each other. This dense configuration means that traditional air-cooling systems are ineffective in such confined spaces. Liquid cooling, with its flexible piping, can easily navigate through these tight spaces and provide the necessary cooling performance.

 

The Future of Cooling: Phase Change Cooling in Edge Computing

While Google has fully embraced liquid cooling for large-scale deployments of TPU v8, it is also exploring phase change cooling technology for edge computing scenarios. This technology promises to deliver extremely high cooling efficiency in smaller, localized deployments, which could play a significant role in future iterations of the TPU, including TPU v9.

 

 

Key Beneficiary Suppliers in Google's TPU v8 Liquid Cooling Ecosystem

The following suppliers are expected to gain significantly from the adoption of liquid cooling in Google’s TPU v8:

Company	Country / Region	Core Role / Product Description
Vertiv	USA	Global leader in liquid cooling infrastructure, providing large-scale liquid cooling CDUs (Coolant Distribution Units) and data center thermal management
Auras	Taiwan, China	Core cold plate supplier for TPU v8, with a dominant position in ultra-thin cold plate technology
AVC (Asia Vital Components)	Taiwan, China	Key thermal module and water cooling plate assembler; long-term close partner of Google
Delta Electronics	Taiwan, China	Provides high-power-density liquid-cooled power supplies and customized liquid cooling circulation systems
CoolIT Systems	Canada	Direct-to-chip liquid cooling (DLC) specialist; deeply involved in Google data center custom solutions
Schneider Electric	France	Provides end-to-end data center liquid cooling integration solutions and pre-fabricated liquid-cooled racks
Nidec	Japan	Supplies critical CDUs and high-performance circulating pumps for liquid cooling systems
Boyd	USA	Provides high-performance heat pipes, cold plates, and complex fluid distribution systems
Envicool	China	Leading liquid cooling company in China; benefits from supply chain spillover driven by Google and global hyperscaler expansion
Quanta / QCT	Taiwan, China	Google’s core server ODM; directly benefits from liquid-cooled rack assembly and integration

 

Liquid Cooling Infrastructure Layer
Vertiv is a U.S. giant in data center infrastructure, holding a leading position globally in the fields of liquid cooling CDUs and data center thermal management. Its net sales for the first quarter of 2026 reached $2.65 billion—a 30% year-over-year increase—reflecting the robust global demand for liquid cooling solutions. Vertiv offers integrated solutions ranging from large-scale liquid cooling CDUs to cabinet-level thermal management systems, serving as a core infrastructure supplier for Google's hyperscale data center construction projects.

 

CoolIT Systems is a Canadian specialist in Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) for chips. With deep expertise in chip-level liquid cooling technology, the company has long been deeply involved in the design and implementation of custom solutions for Google's data centers.

 

Schneider Electric, a French giant in energy management and automation, provides end-to-end integrated liquid cooling solutions for data centers, as well as standardized, prefabricated liquid-cooled cabinet systems. It stands as a key global supplier of data center infrastructure.

 

 

Core Components Layer
Auras (headquartered in Taiwan) is a core supplier of cold plates for the TPU v8. Cold plates are critical components within a liquid cooling system that directly impact heat dissipation efficiency. Auras possesses manufacturing experience and quality control capabilities in the field of ultra-thin cold plates that are virtually unrivaled by its peers. According to market analysis, Auras anticipates a year-over-year revenue growth exceeding 50% in 2026.

 

Nidec is a leading global manufacturer of precision motors, headquartered in Japan. For liquid cooling systems, the company supplies highly reliable CDUs and high-efficiency circulation pumps, providing critical support for the circulation power and flow distribution within Google's data center liquid cooling infrastructure.

 

Boyd (headquartered in the U.S.) possesses industry-leading expertise in high-performance thermal management. The company offers comprehensive heat dissipation solutions ranging from heat pipes and cold plates to complex fluid distribution systems.

 

 

System Integration Layer
AVC (headquartered in Taiwan) serves as the assembler for key thermal modules and water-cooled plates for the TPU v8, maintaining a long-standing and close collaborative relationship with Google. AVC was one of the earliest vendors selected to provide liquid cooling solutions for Google's ASICs. 

Data indicates that, as of the end of 2025, AVC had achieved record-high monthly revenues for 10 consecutive months, with its performance projected to see further growth in 2026. Headquartered in Taiwan, Delta Electronics offers high-power-density liquid-cooled power supplies as well as customized liquid cooling circulation systems. Its dual integration capabilities—encompassing both power delivery and thermal management—play an indispensable role within the AI ​​server hardware ecosystem.

 

 

Server Manufacturing and Integration
Quanta Computer (QCT) stands as one of the largest-scale server contract manufacturers based in Taiwan, benefiting directly from the assembly and integration of the TPU v8 liquid-cooled cabinets. The core server manufacturing framework for every generation of Google TPUs has been undertaken by leading Taiwanese manufacturers such as Quanta and QCT. By continuously optimizing integration costs and delivery lead times for liquid cooling architectures, QCT is securing an increasingly entrenched position within this supply chain.

 

 

The "China Force
Envicool is a leading enterprise in China's liquid cooling sector. According to Reuters, as early as the beginning of 2026, Google had already initiated discussions with Chinese liquid cooling equipment manufacturers—including Envicool—regarding the procurement of data center cooling systems. As a key Chinese representative within Google's supply chain ecosystem, Envicool has obtained certification as an integrator for Intel's cold plate liquid cooling solutions and has been selected as a core infrastructure partner for NVIDIA's Blackwell platform.

 

This signifies that Chinese suppliers are playing an increasingly pivotal role within the liquid cooling ecosystem surrounding Google TPUs. As Google expands its liquid cooling infrastructure globally, China's liquid cooling supply chain is poised to seize opportunities for broader expansion and growth.

 

In addition to Envicool, Lianli Liquid Cooling also plays a significant role in the international liquid cooling industry. Its expert team possesses a deep understanding of global market regulations and localized requirements, having already provided customized liquid cooling solutions and end-to-end implementation support to over 100 countries and regions worldwide. With a robust foundation established across international markets, the company has cumulatively deployed over 5 million sets of liquid cooling equipment, supporting projects with a total installed power capacity exceeding 10 GW—demonstrating significant economies of scale. Furthermore, its products have obtained authoritative international certifications such as RoHS, CE, and UL, earning widespread trust for their exceptional technical quality and service standards.

 

 

 

Conclusion

The shift toward liquid cooling for Google’s TPU v8 marks a significant step in the evolution of data center technologies, with substantial benefits in cooling efficiency, power density, and environmental sustainability. As the need for AI computing power grows, liquid cooling will continue to play a critical role in managing the thermal demands of next-generation hardware.

 

The suppliers listed above are at the forefront of this revolution, providing the essential components and systems that enable Google’s TPU v8 infrastructure to operate at scale while maintaining industry-leading energy efficiency and cooling performance. As Google continues to push the boundaries of AI, these key suppliers are poised to benefit from the expanding liquid cooling ecosystem that is shaping the future of data centers.