en.Wedoany.com Reported - Ben Pritchard, CEO of UK-based AVK, noted that modular power and microgrids are becoming key tools for data center operators to address the surge in artificial intelligence (AI) workloads and rapidly expand infrastructure. The company is deploying integrated and pre-engineered solutions to build larger, more complex facilities in shorter timeframes while ensuring system resilience.
Pritchard said in an interview with Capacity that modular power is transforming how developers deliver critical infrastructure, particularly in addressing the challenge of shortening complex data center construction cycles without adding extra risk. As AI infrastructure projects scale up, they introduce greater complexity and risk during delivery.
AVK's PowerPods offer a fully integrated, pre-engineered solution that enables faster connectivity compared to traditional methods. These modular power systems help accelerate deployment, reduce on-site construction work, and improve quality through factory testing. They also provide the flexibility to scale as high-performance computing (HPC) and AI application demands evolve, offering developers certainty and resilience to ensure efficient project delivery.
The company believes that as AI demand accelerates, modular delivery will become the core approach for building critical power infrastructure. PowerPods can be integrated and tested in a controlled environment, simplifying on-site processes and enhancing customer confidence. The modular approach also supports the long-term evolution of data centers, allowing additional infrastructure to be introduced without disrupting existing systems, thereby protecting initial investments.
AVK has built a new 140,000-square-foot facility in Haydock, UK, dedicated to the assembly, integration, and testing of PowerPods. This facility, the first of its kind in Europe, can assemble up to 25 PowerPods simultaneously, with an annual capacity of approximately 100 units. This investment aims to streamline the delivery of critical power infrastructure by centralizing design, assembly, and testing in a dedicated environment.
The Haydock plant is expected to significantly boost AVK's production capacity and provide a scalable platform for next-generation hyperscale and AI infrastructure. As a supporting measure, AVK has formed a dedicated modular power systems team, pooling a combined 250 years of experience in the field. The company plans to expand this division by recruiting new talent, including multidisciplinary graduate and apprenticeship positions.
Modular power is part of AVK's broader strategy to integrate expertise across critical power domains, covering uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), backup generation, control systems, and ongoing services. PowerPods integrate these components into a single engineering solution. AVK remains technology-neutral, allowing customers to specify equipment while benefiting from a fully integrated system.
AVK has also made progress in standalone power solutions, collaborating with Pure Data Centres Group on Europe's first microgrid at its DUB01 campus. The project is now in the final stages of commissioning and has received its final industrial emissions permit. Pritchard noted that the microgrid provides a replicable solution for data centers to bypass traditional grid connection queues, particularly in regions where grid connections are delayed or unavailable. This approach enables operators to become operational faster, addressing grid bottlenecks that often hinder data center deployment.
