Huawei unveils the world’s first 3D data center, collaborating with the industry to co‑create a new AIDC paradigm.

On September 15, the 2026 AIDC Industry Development Conference and the 3D Data Center On-site Event were held in Wuhu, Anhui. During the event, Huawei officially unveiled the world’s first 3D data center, published the monograph “3D Data Center,” and made available the “3D Data Center Preliminary Design Library,” working with the industry to co‑create a new paradigm for AIDCs (Artificial Intelligence Data Centers).

To address the security challenges of large-scale AI computing centers and ensure compatibility across different generations of AI chips, Huawei has pioneered a next‑generation 3D data center through innovative system architecture. Drawing on the chip manufacturing industry’s principle of strictly separating the “power layer” from the “production layer,” this 3D data center vertically stacks the traditionally horizontally arranged functional zones, creating a four‑tier structure—from bottom to top—comprising the cooling layer, the IT equipment layer, the power supply layer, and the backup power layer.

Wang Tao, Vice Chairman and Rotating Chairman of Huawei, stated: “Large-scale models with hundreds of trillions of parameters and rapidly growing token demand are placing increasingly stringent requirements on AI infrastructure; Ascend super‑node clusters comprising more than 100,000 accelerators will become the standard configuration. The 3D data center, through hierarchical decoupling and three-dimensional stacking, underpins a ‘supercomputing powerhouse’ for Ascend super‑node clusters. The 3D data center architecture unveiled today can serve as a reference framework for the entire industry in building super‑node clusters. By opening up its data center model, standardizing blueprints and solutions, Huawei is working with industry partners to co‑create an open AI infrastructure ecosystem and lay a robust computing foundation for the intelligent world.”

Ren Shulu, Senior Vice President and Executive Supervisor at Huawei, delivered a keynote speech titled “Generational Leap, Paradigm Shift: Co‑Building the Next‑Generation AIDC.” He stated, “3D data centers have achieved a paradigm shift—from ‘construction on site’ to ‘factory prefabrication and on‑site assembly.’ Treating data centers as standardized products enables mass replication, rather than building them as bespoke projects.” He pointed out that in the AI era, high‑density computing power poses severe challenges to traditional data centers in terms of space, power supply, and thermal management. Cabinet power has surged from a few kilowatts or tens of kilowatts in the air‑cooled era to 100 kW and even 200 kW, with further increases expected in the future. Such extreme energy density demands a systematic paradigm shift across power supply, cooling, operations and maintenance, and delivery cycles for AI‑driven data centers.

3D data centers offer high reliability through zone-based isolation and fault containment, efficient cooling with partitioned heat dissipation, and vertical power and cooling distribution with ultra‑short routing. Leveraging a factory‑based productization approach, they achieve standardization and prefabrication, halving the delivery time for MEP systems, while also enabling domain‑specific, decentralized management and intelligent operations and maintenance. Currently, Huawei Cloud has deployed three major cloud core hubs in Gui’an, Guizhou; Horinger, Inner Mongolia; and Wuhu, Anhui—each of which is scaling up 3D data center construction to meet the rapidly growing demand for intelligent computing power and large‑scale deployment.

At the event, Huawei also published the monograph “3D Data Center” and made available the “3D Data Center Preliminary Design Library.” The monograph is divided into five sections—“Computing Power Transformation, DC Reengineering, Artisan‑Craftsmanship, Paradigm Shift, and Value Leap”—providing a comprehensive account of practical experience, from the original vision for innovation to end‑to‑end lifecycle management. The open library covers disciplines including architecture, structural engineering, plumbing and drainage, HVAC and power systems, as well as electrical and low‑voltage systems, laying the groundwork for industry‑wide collaboration in building 3D data centers.

Looking ahead, the Global Computing Consortium (GCC) has launched an initiative to co‑build a new paradigm for next‑generation AIDCs. In collaboration with Huawei and dozens of other industry‑chain partners, the consortium is working to refine metric definitions, develop reference architectures, conduct benchmark validations, and advance standards and certifications—collectively laying the groundwork for data center infrastructure tailored to the AI era.

(Source: Economic Information Daily)