Delta forecasts increases in solid-state transformer shipments for data centers

• By Meryl Kao / Staff Reporter

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Delta Electronics Inc (台達電) yesterday said it expects to ship 100 solid-state transformer (SST) units by the end of this year and looks forward to a more significant increase in shipments in 2028, amid soaring demand from data center operators and cloud service providers in the US and China.

The company showcased for the first time its prefabricated SST direct-current (DC) power solutions at the Energy Taiwan trade show in Taipei yesterday.

The solutions integrate SSTs, DC/DC converters and control systems to convert medium-voltage alternating current directly into the 800V DC required by data centers, it said.

From left, Delta Electronics Inc vice president of the energy infrastructure business group Eton Lee, energy infrastructure business group vice president Patrick Zhao, chief brand officer Guo Shan-shan and general manager of the hydrogen energy business division Charles Tsai gesture at the company’s booth at the Energy Taiwan trade show in Taipei yesterday.

Photo courtesy of Delta Electronics Inc

Data centers account for the largest share of the company’s SST shipments, Delta vice president of the energy infrastructure business group Eton Lee (李延庭) said on the sidelines of the trade show.

Delta’s SST production capacity is mainly in China, and facilities in Taiwan are expected to be completed soon, Lee said, adding that the company plans to expand capacity in Dallas next year to meet demand there.

At the trade show, the company also exhibited its solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) solutions.

Delta has secured an order from The Great Taipei Gas Corp (大台北瓦斯) for a 55 kilowatt SOFC system and orders from other customers, with trial production expected to begin by the end of this year, Delta general manager of the hydrogen energy business division Charles Tsai (蔡文蔭) said.

Volume shipments are expected to begin next year and expand further in 2028, Tsai said.

Delta sees data centers as the main end market for its SOFC systems, while also targeting large enterprises, semiconductor companies and other power-intensive manufacturers, he said.

The company plans to begin a trial production of the SOFC system of 5 megawatts (MW) at its Tainan Plant 2 by the end of this year, and to begin mass production at its plant in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) in 2028 with about 5.5MW of testing capacity, Tsai said.

US-based power management company Eaton Corp also showcased a range of power management solutions at the show, including medium-voltage distribution, uninterruptible power supply systems, energy storage and circuit protection.

Among its product lines, Eaton has begun shipments of its latest medium-voltage SST, first showcased last month, starting this quarter, and expects mass production to begin next year, Eaton country manager for Taiwan and the Philippines Tony Lin (林鈺培) said.

In the longer term, the product could contribute 20 to 30 percent of Eaton’s revenue, supported by strong demand from AI data center construction, Lin said.

Clients for the SST products are mainly from China and other Asian countries, he said.

The company produces the product in the US and China and would consider manufacturing it in Tainan’s Guanmiao District (關廟) or New Taipei City’s Sijhih District (汐止) in the future, he said.