CO₂ was officially launched in London last week as the new generation refrigerant for mission critical cooling in blade server data centres.

This follows the market's age-old search to solve the issue of over-heating in data suites and subsequent risk of information loss. Meeting stringent environmental and technical requirements, Trox Advanced IT Cooling Systems (AITCS) has released a world-first in blade server cooling, and at the same time has turned traditional data cooling on its head.

Opening proceedings at the grand launch in Canary Wharf, the hub of London's business and financial district, were Mr Heinz Trox, owner of the Trox Group, and the group's Chief Executive Officer, Dr Helmut Franzen and, the world's first end-users Imperial College London with their consultant hurleypalmerflatt, who presented on their positive experience with the system.

The event showcased the system to more than 160 guests, including key industry figures and journalists from the IT, heating, refrigeration and building services sectors, as well as several local blue chip concerns. The guests were first to witness the unveiling of what is considered a highly significant event in IT.

The positive impact on the industry, coupled with the unprecedented interest shown in the system is indicative of the future CO₂ will play in blade server cooling. The innovation itself is the employment of heat absorption instead of traditional cooling methods. Trox AITCS' patented CO₂ technology allows for up to a massive 30kW capacity per cabinet, putting it head and shoulders above air or water alternatives and, as it is electrically-benign, it eliminates the perceived risk of equipment damage that is the prime concern for water systems.

Guy Hutchins, sales and marketing director of Trox AITCS, said: "The launch has already generated enquiries from major businesses locally and abroad - a remarkable success for us and the future of IT."