Data center cooling company Airsys opens HQ near Spartanburg. It promises zero-water tech.

Airsys Cooling Technologies has established its new North American headquarters in Woodruff, Spartanburg County, South Carolina, aiming to become a global hub for "zero-water cooling technologies." The company's move into a 60-acre campus, with a $60 million investment and plans for 215 employees by early 2027, positions it to address a significant concern for communities impacted by data center development. Yunshui Chen, Airsys founder and CEO, highlighted the facility's role in advancing cooling innovation for mission-critical infrastructure, particularly in light of increasing demand for AI-driven data centers. This development in Spartanburg County is set against a backdrop of local controversy surrounding data center projects. Residents previously saw the unraveling of Project Spero by TigerDC, which withdrew its proposal after the Spartanburg County Council declined tax breaks due to public outcry over potential power bill increases and other issues. Furthermore, NorthMark's data center, currently under construction in Spartanburg, is facing criticism for its projected water consumption of nearly half a million gallons daily and its plan to generate up to 450 megawatts on-site using natural gas. The Southern Environmental Law Center has requested a public hearing on the NorthMark facility. The opening of Airsys's headquarters, focused on sustainable cooling, is seen as a response to these local challenges and the broader debate in South Carolina regarding the regulation and support of the rapidly expanding data center industry.