This report values the global data center chillers market at US$3.20B in 2025 and forecasts growth to US$4.84B by 2030, a 8.6% CAGR over 2026-2030. The market expanded from an estimated US$2.30B in 2021 at a historical CAGR of approximately 8.6%, as hyperscale cloud build-outs, colocation expansion and the first wave of AI and GPU-intensive facilities lifted demand for large, highly reliable chilled-water plants. North America is the largest region at about 39% of 2025 revenue, anchored by the United States, while Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region at approximately 10.9% CAGR, led by China’s scale and India’s 15.5% national growth rate, the fastest of any major market covered.
By chiller type, water-cooled chillers lead at 46% share, while free-cooling and economizer-assisted chillers are the fastest-growing type at about 12.6% CAGR. By compressor technology, oil-lubricated centrifugal machines lead at 32%, and magnetic-bearing / oil-free centrifugal technology is the fastest-growing at about 14.2% CAGR. Large plants of 1,000-3,500 kW form the largest capacity band (38%), while high-capacity hyperscale systems above 3,500 kW grow fastest. Chilled-water systems with water-cooled heat rejection are the largest cooling configuration (40%); liquid-cooling-integrated architectures are the fastest-growing at about 16.5% CAGR. Hyperscale facilities are the largest end-user segment (38%), with edge and other facilities expanding fastest from a small base at about 11.4% CAGR.
Growth is driven by rising IT power density, AI and high-performance computing, efficiency and PUE pressure, and investment in digital infrastructure. Key trends include magnetic-bearing and variable-speed compressors, higher chilled-water temperatures that extend free-cooling hours, modular and packaged plants, warm-water integration with liquid cooling, and AI-assisted plant optimization connected to DCIM and BMS platforms. The principal challenges are high capital cost, complex plant design and commissioning, water-use scrutiny, refrigerant regulation, skilled-labor shortages, lead-time pressure and power availability constraints in several countries.
The competitive landscape is led by diversified HVAC majors - Johnson Controls, Trane Technologies, Carrier Global and Daikin Industries - alongside data center infrastructure specialists Vertiv and Schneider Electric and cooling specialists Mitsubishi Electric (Climaveneta, RC) and STULZ, with competition centered on efficiency, delivery capacity, service reach and chip-to-chiller integration. Looking ahead, the market enters 2026 as a structurally growing, mission-critical category in which AI-driven density, sustainability mandates and continuous capacity expansion are expected to sustain chiller demand through 2030.
By chiller type, water-cooled chillers lead at 46% share, while free-cooling and economizer-assisted chillers are the fastest-growing type at about 12.6% CAGR. By compressor technology, oil-lubricated centrifugal machines lead at 32%, and magnetic-bearing / oil-free centrifugal technology is the fastest-growing at about 14.2% CAGR. Large plants of 1,000-3,500 kW form the largest capacity band (38%), while high-capacity hyperscale systems above 3,500 kW grow fastest. Chilled-water systems with water-cooled heat rejection are the largest cooling configuration (40%); liquid-cooling-integrated architectures are the fastest-growing at about 16.5% CAGR. Hyperscale facilities are the largest end-user segment (38%), with edge and other facilities expanding fastest from a small base at about 11.4% CAGR.
Growth is driven by rising IT power density, AI and high-performance computing, efficiency and PUE pressure, and investment in digital infrastructure. Key trends include magnetic-bearing and variable-speed compressors, higher chilled-water temperatures that extend free-cooling hours, modular and packaged plants, warm-water integration with liquid cooling, and AI-assisted plant optimization connected to DCIM and BMS platforms. The principal challenges are high capital cost, complex plant design and commissioning, water-use scrutiny, refrigerant regulation, skilled-labor shortages, lead-time pressure and power availability constraints in several countries.
The competitive landscape is led by diversified HVAC majors - Johnson Controls, Trane Technologies, Carrier Global and Daikin Industries - alongside data center infrastructure specialists Vertiv and Schneider Electric and cooling specialists Mitsubishi Electric (Climaveneta, RC) and STULZ, with competition centered on efficiency, delivery capacity, service reach and chip-to-chiller integration. Looking ahead, the market enters 2026 as a structurally growing, mission-critical category in which AI-driven density, sustainability mandates and continuous capacity expansion are expected to sustain chiller demand through 2030.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Market Size and Growth
3. Market Segmentation
4. Regional and Country Analysis
5. Technology, Cooling Architecture and Application Insights
6. Competitive Landscape
7. Company Profiles
8. Strategic Insights and Outlook
List of Tables and Figures
Companies Mentioned
- Johnson Controls
- Trane Technologies
- Carrier Global
- Daikin Industries
- Vertiv
- Schneider Electric
- Mitsubishi Electric
- STULZ
