Envision claims world-first 800VDC data center in Ulanqab, China
Green technology firm Envision claims to have built the world’s first 800VDC data center in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia. The 800VDC power system is running live compute workloads at the company’s Galaxy AI data center, which opened in August. The size of the deployed system has not been disclosed. A traditional data center power setup takes alternating current from the grid and runs it through multiple conversions: AC to direct current for batteries or uninterruptible power supplies, back to AC for distribution to IT racks, then to DC again for server components. The 800VDC approach reduces this to a single conversion from AC to DC at the facility entrance, then runs DC directly to the racks. This architecture is seen as a way to deliver more power into the server hall to meet the needs of future AI hardware generations, which will require significantly more power than current equipment.
Envision’s deployed system combines solid-state transformers, battery energy storage, and equipment that adjusts direct-current voltage for computing hardware. The company has developed a controller called Dubhe, supported by its own foundation AI model Dubhe Energy, that coordinates the transformers and batteries in real time to match power supply with computing demand and manage sudden load swings. According to Envision, the solid-state transformer converts 10kV medium voltage AC from the grid to an 800VDC busbar that serves the hardware. An Open Compute Project white paper on 800VDC, released earlier this year, proposed using a busbar, cables, or a mixture of both to transmit power to servers. Kevin Huang, senior vice president of Envision Energy and president of energy storage and AIDC Power Systems, said AI data centers need power systems that coordinate renewable energy, energy storage, and the grid to meet computing demand, and that the integrated 800VDC system demonstrates an end-to-end architecture connecting renewable supply with computing demand.
The Galaxy AI data center will span 120,000 square meters (1.2 million square feet) and has a planned capacity of 3GW. It is designed to support up to one million AI accelerators, though the type of hardware currently running has not been disclosed. Envision states the facility is powered by 80 percent renewable energy. The company was founded in 2007 as a wind turbine manufacturer and says it has installed 100GW of wind turbines globally, with 20GW installed in 2025 alone. Envision aims to bring 5GW of green data center capacity online by 2030 as part of its Mission Gobi initiative. The Ulanqab deployment represents a step toward that target, integrating the company’s energy generation, storage, and power conversion technologies into a single operational site.
DatacenterDynamics is not aware of any other data centers worldwide running an 800VDC power setup, though many companies are working on solid-state transformers expected to reach the market within the next year. Microsoft and Meta have proposed, through the Open Compute Project, designs for the Mount Diablo rack, which includes a power sidecar enabling 400VDC to reach servers. The OCP white paper released this year outlines the 800VDC architecture as a potential standard for high-density computing. Envision’s live deployment moves the concept from proposal to operational reality, providing a reference point for the industry as it evaluates higher-voltage DC distribution for next-generation AI workloads.
The 800VDC system’s ability to coordinate renewable generation, battery storage, and grid supply in real time addresses a core challenge for large-scale AI infrastructure: matching variable clean energy output with continuous, high-density compute demand. By eliminating intermediate conversion stages, the architecture also reduces energy losses and equipment footprint. Envision’s use of its own AI model to manage the power-compute interface adds a layer of automated optimization that could become standard as data centers grow in scale and complexity. The Galaxy AI site serves as both a production facility and a testbed for the integrated power stack Envision intends to replicate across its planned 5GW portfolio.
Industry attention will focus on the reliability and scalability of the solid-state transformer technology at 10kV-to-800VDC conversion, as well as the performance of the Dubhe controller under sustained AI training and inference loads. The absence of disclosed hardware details at the Ulanqab site leaves open questions about current rack-level power densities and the specific accelerator types in use. However, the operational status of the 800VDC system marks a measurable milestone in the transition from AC-dominated data center power to high-voltage DC architectures designed for the megawatt-scale demands of advanced AI computing.
Source: DatacenterDynamics — summary compiled with AI assistance; facts as stated in the original.