DC Market Insights estimates that a liquid-cooled AI data center hall needs about $190,000 of piping per megawatt of new capacity in 2025, against roughly $70,000 for an air-cooled chilled-water hall. The firm values the global data center piping market at $1.17 billion in 2025 and projects $4.50 billion by 2035, a compound annual growth rate of 14.42%.
Why liquid cooling raises the bill
The report says a liquid-cooled hall adds a technology cooling system loop from the CDU toward each rack row. Higher rack densities also raise demand for manifolds, clean secondary loops, isolation valves, flushing and leak-control practices. DC Market Insights concludes that the piping bill grows faster than floor area or IT capacity alone. Report author Amit Jain, a senior consultant at the firm, describes piping as shifting from a supporting mechanical package to a direct beneficiary of the AI liquid-cooling build-out.
Where the spending sits
Chilled-water and condenser loops remain the largest system, at $781.85 million or 66.8% of 2025 spending. Liquid cooling secondary loops and rack manifolds are the fastest-growing core system.
| System | 2025 value | 2035 value | CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chilled-water and condenser loops | $781.85M | $2,069.13M | 10.22% |
| Liquid cooling secondary loops and rack manifolds | $177.12M | $1,581.47M | 24.47% |
| Heat rejection and glycol loops | $199.78M | $669.95M | 12.86% |
| Heat reuse export piping | $11.70M | $180.02M | 31.44% |
Stainless steel grows 19.47% a year and thermoplastics 19.13%, the report says, as cooling loops favor corrosion-resistant, cleaner and factory-built materials.
Regions and the 2026 jump
North America leads with 42.0% of 2025 spending, or $491.59 million. Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing major region at 15.91% a year, and India is the fastest-growing large country at 20.70%. The market reaches $1.60 billion in 2026, up 37.12% on 2025, which DC Market Insights ties to a sharp rise in liquid-cooled AI capacity and higher steel pipe prices. The five largest suppliers hold about 21% of 2025 spending.
