The HVAC solutions specialist for data centers and critical environments, Galifer, has joined the Grupo Arce Clima to reinforce the capabilities of both companies and expand their response capacity in high-demand environments, especially to address the new cooling needs associated with the development of artificial intelligence.
Galifer already has 23 data center projects in Spain and Portugal and more than 240 MW of critical HVAC completed. The company will maintain its identity, team, and technical know-how, while integrating into the group, which counts 470 professionals and a presence in more than 20 countries.
This new dimension will allow the company to capitalize on the operational capacity and international reach of Grupo Arce Clima to tackle larger-scale projects and progressively extend its capabilities to new European markets.
The integration is based on the complementarity of both companies. Galifer brings its specialization in critical HVAC for data centers, especially liquid cooling, as well as its engineering, prefabrication, and installation capabilities.
For its part, Arce Clima adds its experience in HVAC, fire protection, regulation and control, and maintenance, in addition to its international footprint. The combination of these capabilities will allow the integration of more specialties within a single project and offer a more comprehensive response to client needs.
AI Applications
AI is not only accelerating the construction of new data centers; it is transforming the refrigeration engineering needed to operate them.
The growth of artificial intelligence and compute-intensive applications is raising the power density of data centers and transforming their cooling needs. This evolution is giving rise to increasingly sophisticated infrastructures, where energy efficiency, adaptability, and the industrialization of construction processes take center stage.
In this context, Fernando Entonado, CEO of Galifer, notes that “we are seeing a clear rise in thermal density in data centers, driven by AI, which is accelerating the deployment of liquid cooling, more demanding hydraulic networks, and increasingly industrialized systems. Galifer already has experience in engineering, prefabrication, installation and commissioning of these solutions. The integration into Grupo Arce Clima will allow us to take on more specialties within a single project, offering the client a more comprehensive solution with greater execution capacity.”
In this context, Galifer has the ability to engage in the full cycle of a critical installation, from engineering and BIM coordination to prefabrication of pipes and assemblies in a workshop, the fabrication of pump skids and technical rooms, installation, testing, flushing, and commissioning. The company is currently involved in liquid cooling projects and brings capabilities in conceptual design and detailed engineering as well as stainless steel fabrication, pump skid manufacturing, and assembly.
40 Years of Experience and a High Specialization in HVAC Solutions for Data Centers
Founded in Madrid in 1986, Galifer has 40 years of track record in industrial assembly and HVAC solutions, with seven years of specific experience in data centers.
This specialization is supported by the company’s experience in critical facilities for sectors such as aerospace, with clients like NASA, and the pharmaceutical industry, where high requirements for quality, traceability, safety, and reliability have helped develop a work methodology that Galifer has transferred to the data center realm.
Industrialization Gains Ground in Critical Projects
The growth in scale and complexity of data centers is driving greater industrialization of manufacturing and installation processes. Moving part of the work from site to controlled manufacturing environments, through off-site solutions and DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly), improves planning, quality, safety, and traceability, while reducing on-site execution times.
In this area, Galifer has invested 1 million euros in a robotized welding cell that will multiply its manufacturing capacity by 100, strengthening the production of components destined for critical installations and enabling larger-scale projects. The integration into Grupo Arce Clima will allow combining this industrial and technical capacity with the group’s operational scale and international presence, creating new opportunities to expand Galifer’s activity and progressively transfer its specialization to other European markets.
“The incorporation of Galifer adds highly specialized technical knowledge in a strategic area for the development of digital infrastructures. Its experience in critical installations and liquid cooling complements our capabilities and enables us to broaden the response we offer to our clients,” concludes José Ángel Buceta, president of Grupo Arce Clima.
