27 minutes ago
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- China puts its first commercial 800V DC data center power system into operation
- Envision converts 10kV grid electricity directly into an 800V DC supply
- New power architecture combines solid-state transformers with battery storage for AI facilities
China’s Envision claims to have put an integrated 800-volt direct-current power architecture into commercial operation at an AI facility in Inner Mongolia.
The installation is located at the Galaxy AI campus in Ulanqab, where trials of its Dubhe controller and supporting energy model began in August 2026.
The company describes the deployment as the first commercial use of this configuration, although independent performance figures have not yet been disclosed publicly.
A different route from grid electricity to computing hardware
Conventional facilities generally convert incoming electricity through several stages before delivering power suitable for servers and accelerators, adding equipment and potential conversion losses.
Envision’s design instead uses a solid-state transformer to convert 10-kilovolt medium-voltage alternating current directly into an 800-volt direct-current distribution line.
The company says this arrangement reduces conversion steps, improves electrical efficiency and allows power equipment to occupy substantially less physical space within data centers.
A higher-voltage distribution network can also reduce the amount of copper required for cabling, potentially lowering material requirements as computing installations expand rapidly.
The architecture includes battery storage intended to respond rapidly when processor demand changes, while also supplying temporary backup during unexpected interruptions.
Envision says the storage system can provide immediate support over seconds and maintain backup capability across periods measured in several minutes.
Its controller coordinates the transformer and batteries within milliseconds, aiming to manage sudden changes in electricity consumption from GPUs.
That coordination matters because AI workloads can cause substantial swings in demand, placing additional pressure on electrical infrastructure supplying densely packed computing equipment.
The company also says its arrangement can accommodate higher-density server racks, allowing operators to install more computing capacity within a given floor area.
Ambitions extend beyond the first installation
Envision’s Galaxy facility is expected to grow to 3 gigawatts, with the company saying its eventual capacity could serve one million AI accelerators.
Envision also intends to introduce the technology through Mission Gobi, an initiative seeking 5 gigawatts of renewable-powered computing capacity by 2030.
That programme is focused on desert locations, where the company expects renewable generation and energy storage to support large computing developments.
The system has been designed to work alongside renewable electricity sources, while its batteries are intended to balance supply and changing computing requirements.
However, the company has not provided independently verified measurements quantifying efficiency improvements, installation costs or savings compared with conventional power systems.
The announcement does not also establish how the architecture performs under sustained full-load conditions or across facilities with substantially different hardware configurations.
The deployment therefore marks a commercial milestone for Envision, while the scale of its claimed operational advantages awaits detailed independent evidence.
Via Tom's Hardware
