The Challenge: Ultra-Short Lead Times and Strict Space Constraints
When a major cloud-neutral digital infrastructure operator needed to establish a site upgrade to accommodate new clients in their Sydney operation, they faced a demanding dual challenge: an incredibly short lead time and tight facility constraints.
The project required a rapid refurbishment to convert existing building spaces into high-performance data halls across multiple floors. The project’s appointed design consultants approached Munters with a critical request: provide a reliable Fan Wall Unit (FWU) solution with up to 20MW of capacity and supply it extremely quickly. Munters answered with a definitive yes.
“The challenge was to fulfill tight technical and physical footprint constraints while delivering the equipment fast – really fast. Munters’ MCW series FWU proved to be the perfect solution to meet this design challenge.”
The Solution: A Compact, Stacked Design with Built-In Redundancy
To support the total project requirement at short notice, Munters Data Center Technologies (DCT) supplied 10MW capacity of water-cooled Fan Wall Units (model MCW460). Manufactured at the Munters Ireland facility in Cork, these units were equipped with custom-programmed controls from the factory to deliver optimized fan control and advanced group functionality.
Key technical advantages that secured the client’s confidence included:
- No Hot Works Required On-Site: A smart, two-piece stacked design featuring simple on-site electrical and hydraulic inter-connections ensured rapid installation and ease of work.
- Twin-Circuit Redundancy: The design includes independent cooling coils, providing built-in redundancy with a twin-circuit heat exchange setup.
- High Power Quality: The compact design is supported by high-efficiency EC plug fans featuring integrated Active Harmonic Filtration (up to 5% THDi) to safeguard the data center’s electrical infrastructure.
Technical Agility in the Field
No complex refurbishment project is completely free of surprises. Due to physical access constraints inside the data hall, the on-site engineering team determined that certain components needed to be serviced from the main corridor rather than the white space.
Demonstrating outstanding agility and support, Munters customized the equipment directly on-site. Working closely with the Ireland factory, the After Sales Technical Support team safely relocated sensors and actuators external to the cabinet and into a secure area within the data hall service corridor. This allowed routine maintenance on fans and filters to be performed via a dedicated access door from the service corridor, keeping the main server environment completely undisturbed.
The Result: A Highly Efficient, Future-Ready Architecture
Through tight collaboration between the design consultants, the client, and Munters, the entire 10MW system was successfully delivered and deployed during the first quarter of 2026. The operator now utilizes a compact, highly reliable cooling ecosystem engineered to run efficiently 24/7, 365 days a year
- Compact Footprint: Perfectly sized to maximize server space within tight, refurbished building dimensions.
- Simplified Maintenance: Hassle-free internal access from the service corridor mitigates operational risks during servicing.
- Certified Efficiency: AHRI-certified cooling performance delivering an outstanding COP/EER of 4.5 W/W.
Project Overview
- Client: Global Digital Infrastructure Leader
- Location: Sydney, Australia
- Application: Refurbishment and conversion of existing building space into data halls across several floors
- Solution: 20 Munters Fan Wall Units (Model: MCW460)
- Total Capacity: 10MW Cooling
- Installation Date: Quarter 1, 2026
