Engineering confidence in hyperscale data center commissioning

As data center cooling architectures evolve, commissioning teams must validate performance at unprecedented scale without relying on permanent infrastructure. Aggreko delivered a turnkey, large-scale hydronic heating solution to support dual chiller commissioning at a hyperscale data center. The flexible system scaled mid-project to meet increased demand, providing a proven alternative to traditional boiler-based commissioning while reducing risk to schedule and operations.

Client: Tier-1 general contractor supporting a hyperscale data center operator
Location: Central Texas, USA
Sector: Data centers

Overview

The challenge

Commissioning complex cooling systems without traditional boiler infrastructure

The solution

Purpose-built temporary hydronic heating for dual chiller commissioning

The impact

Reducing risk while establishing a scalable commissioning model

30.0 MMBTU/hr TEMPORARY HYDRONIC HEATING DEPLOYED

6–7MONTH TURNKEY RENTAL SUPPORTING ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION AND COMMISSIONING

Working together

The project team needed to commission multiple chiller systems within an active construction environment. This required simulating realistic heat loads across both liquid to-chip and liquid-to-air cooling architectures, each with unique testing demands.

Traditional boiler-based solutions presented limitations in scalability, control, and deployment flexibility. Midway through the project, required heat load increased from 20 MMBTU to 30 MMBTU, introducing additional pressure on timelines and execution.

The customer required a flexible, engineered solution that could scale quickly while minimizing risk to schedule, site logistics, and system performance.

Aggreko engineered and delivered a purpose-built temporary hydronic heating and load-testing solution designed specifically to support large-scale data center commissioning. The system enabled two parallel testing applications: liquid-to-chip chiller commissioning using a large bank of hydronic heaters delivering 30.0 MMBTU/hr, and liquid-to-air chiller commissioning supported by 100 kW load banks.

The solution included hydronic heaters, a diesel generator, shell and tube heat exchangers, and load banks, all supported by Aggreko’s end-to-end services. Engineering, setup, teardown, site monitoring, and fuel management were managed by Aggreko to ensure seamless integration into the commissioning schedule.

By recognizing that the customer was leery of utilizing steam boilers, Aggreko’s solution provided the control, scalability, and flexibility required for commissioning at scale.

Aggreko’s solution enabled the project team to execute large-scale chiller commissioning without relying on steam boiler systems. The temporary hydronic heating system scaled seamlessly as commissioning requirements increased, maintaining reliability throughout a multi-month deployment.

The ability to support multi chiller architectures within a single project reduced complexity and preserved commissioning momentum, even as project demands evolved. By delivering a flexible, purpose-built solution, Aggreko helped with commissioning activities and provided a proven reference model for future hyperscale data center builds.

The successful execution of this project reinforced confidence in alternative commissioning approaches and demonstrated a scalable path forward as cooling technologies continue to evolve.

Key facts:

Parallel heat-load commissioning supported within one project
Seamless expansion from 20 to 30 MMBTU without system redesign
Multi-month operation on an active construction site
Fully managed purpose-built deployment
Designed to protect customer infrastructure from thermal stress during commissioning

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