Midea and Keppel Launch AI-Powered Modular Cooling Alliance to Decarbonize Asian Infrastructure

Midea Building Technologies and Keppel Ltd. have entered a strategic collaboration to launch AI-enabled, energy-efficient cooling solutions throughout Asia. The non-exclusive agreement focuses on creating standardized modular systems that merge Midea's HVAC manufacturing expertise with Keppel's digital optimization platforms. The signing was witnessed by leadership from both organizations in Singapore, marking a significant step toward sustainable urban infrastructure. The technology centers on Keppel's Operations Nerve Centre, which utilizes the proprietary Infrastructure Intelligence platform. This system leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide real-time monitoring and advanced performance analytics. These digital tools allow for constant remote management of cooling modules, ensuring peak efficiency and reliability through automated data processing. Keppel Ltd. aims to use these insights to optimize cooling delivery based on actual demand. On the hardware side, Midea Building Technologies integrates equipment-level intelligence and Internet of Things sensors into the modular units. This synergy between physical sensors and Keppel's AI algorithms is expected to significantly reduce lifecycle carbon emissions. The resulting systems offer a flexible, capital-expenditure-light solution that can be rapidly deployed and scaled across various commercial sectors.

To drive continuous innovation, the partners are establishing an AI-first Centre of Excellence. This collaborative hub will focus on engineering, standardization, and the optimization of cooling projects. Target industries include high-demand environments such as data centers, healthcare campuses, aviation hubs, and advanced manufacturing parks. The modular, pre-fabricated approach allows Keppel to assemble units onsite, reducing complexity and installation time.

Peter Guan, President of MBT, stated that the partnership unlocks the potential of industrialized AI for cooling. By moving from one-off projects to repeatable architectures, the collaboration aims to make sustainable cooling both accessible and affordable at scale. This initiative builds on existing successes, such as Keppel's HDB Tengah Centralised Cooling Systems project in Singapore, extending those technological gains to the broader Asian market.