Schneider Electric, ETAP launch digital twin tool for AI data centres

March 19, 2025 11:29 AM

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ETAP and Schneider Electric’s digital twin to simulate AI data centre power requirements using Nvidia Omniverse

Schneider Electric and ETAP have teamed up to launch a digital twin tool designed to provide a virtual overview of so-called ‘AI factories’ or specialised AI data centres.

Unveiled at Nvidia’s GTC event, the pair used its Omniverse Blueprint to create a virtualisation tool for designing AI factories, providing detailed simulations of mechanical, thermal, networking, and electrical systems.

The pair tout the blueprints as a way to gain insights into a prospective facility’s systems, with users able to combine the virtual replica with real-time power system data to understand and predict power consumption and distribution patterns.

“We’re fundamentally reimagining how data centres can be designed, managed, and optimised in the AI era,” said Tanuj Khandelwal, CEO of ETAP. “By bridging electrical engineering with advanced virtualisation and AI technologies, we’re creating a new paradigm for infrastructure management.”

While visualisation of data centre systems was previously possible, Schneider Electric and ETAP contend their digital twin offering is more sophisticated, allowing operators to run what-if scenarios and predictive maintenance.

The tool can be used to simulate everything from edge inference servers to large-scale AI training clusters, with users able to conduct modelling on load behaviour down to the chip level.

“We’re offering data centre operators unprecedented visibility and control over power dynamics, empowering them to optimise their infrastructure and accelerate AI adoption while enhancing operational resilience,” said Dion Harris, senior director of high-performance computing and AI factory solutions at Nvidia.

Pankaj Sharma, EVP for data centres, networks and services at Schneider Electric said: “Collaboration, speed, and innovation are the driving forces behind the digital infrastructure transformation that’s required to accommodate AI workloads.

“Together, ETAP, Schneider Electric, and Nvidia are not just advancing data centre technology — we’re empowering businesses to optimise operations and seamlessly navigate the power requirements of AI.”