Flanges for data center projects in Chennai
Chennai is India's second-largest data center market by operating capacity, with clusters at Siruseri and Ambattur and subsea cables landing on its coast. Here is what its hot coastal climate and recycled cooling water mean for the flanges.
For data centers in Chennai we supply ASME B16.5 Class 150 carbon steel flanges in A105 for chilled water and condenser water, ASME B16.47 flanges for mains above 24 inches, and 316L stainless flanges, pickled and passivated, for CDUs, technology cooling loops and any stainless parts in recycled cooling tower water. Every heat comes with an EN 10204 3.1 certificate, and orders go by road from our works in Gujarat.
The Chennai data center market
Chennai had 214 MW of operational data center capacity in the first half of 2026, second in India after Mumbai, and 368 MW of upcoming supply (Cushman & Wakefield).
The market has two main clusters. SIPCOT IT Park at Siruseri, on the southern edge of the city, holds about 30 facilities, among them Sify's Chennai 02 campus, proposed at more than 130 MW, and Equinix's CN1. Sify also runs a cable landing station on the Buckingham Canal at Siruseri, where subsea cables come ashore. In the north, the Ambattur Industrial Estate has NTT's 34.8 MW twin-tower campus and Digital Connexion's 100 MW campus, with more under construction (ThePrint).
Water shapes the design. SIPCOT says it supplies industries in the Chennai region with treated sewage water, about one million liters a day, rather than tapping groundwater. The campuses ThePrint visited cool with closed loops; at one, it describes a cooling plant on the top level, a network of pipes and a dozen thermal storage tanks holding up to 16,000 kiloliters of water. Recycled water quality depends on the treatment, and it matters for any stainless steel in contact with it.
Climate and what it means for the piping
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Hottest month, average daily high | 37.1 °C (May) |
| Record high | 45.0 °C |
| Record low | 13.9 °C |
| Annual rainfall | 1,408 mm, 60% of it from October to December |
Chennai is hot all year. At Nungambakkam the average daily high peaks at 37.1 °C in May, the record high is 45.0 °C and the record low 13.9 °C, far above the -29 °C (-20 °F) to which ASME B16.5 rates A105 flanges. Unlike most of India, Chennai gets most of its rain from the northeast monsoon: 60% of its 1,408 mm falls from October to December.
The city lies on the Bay of Bengal, and Siruseri is close to the coast. Treat outdoor carbon steel flanges as exposed to sea air and paint them with the pipe after installation, and use 316L for stainless steel outdoors. Humidity stays high most of the year, so chilled water flanges need insulation with a continuous vapor barrier.
Flange specification for Chennai projects
| System | Flange | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling towers on treated water | A105, ASME B16.5 Class 150, weld neck or slip-on; flat face at cast iron pumps and FRP towers | 316L for any stainless parts in the tower water |
| Chilled water plant, thermal storage and facility water | A105, Class 150 RF; ASME B16.47 above NPS 24 | Insulate flanges with a vapor barrier |
| Outdoor and rooftop equipment | A105 painted with the pipe, or 316L | Sea air near the coast |
| CDUs and technology cooling system | 316L, Class 150, weld neck or lap joint with stub end, pickled and passivated, 100% PMI | Same grade as the pipe; no slip-ons on the TCS |
Every flange is stamped with its grade, size, class and lot number and ships with an EN 10204 3.1 certificate. Send us your line list and we quote each line as specified.
Getting flanges to Chennai
Flanges for Chennai projects are forged and machined at our works in Umbergaon, Gujarat, and go by road to the site at Siruseri or Ambattur, your contractor's yard or a fabrication shop.
Domestic orders are invoiced with GST and travel with an e-way bill. Your engineer or third-party inspector is welcome at the works before dispatch. Supplying data center projects in India covers standards, inspection and ordering.
Flanges for other Indian data center markets: Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, Pune, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam.
Frequently asked questions
Does treated sewage water in the cooling towers change the flange specification?
Not the class or the standard. Carbon steel condenser water flanges rely on the water treatment program, as the pipe does. Stainless parts in contact with treated water, such as spool pieces, strainers and heat exchanger connections, are better in 316L than 304L. Confirm gasket materials with the water treatment supplier.
Which flanges suit thermal storage tanks and their headers?
Usually carbon steel A105 weld neck or slip-on flanges to ASME B16.5 Class 150, moving to ASME B16.47 above 24 inches, with blind flanges on spare nozzles. Send the tank nozzle schedule with your line list and we quote every line.
Can we inspect to our own quality plan?
Yes. Send your quality assurance plan with the enquiry. Your engineer or a third-party agency can witness stage or final inspection at our works, and EN 10204 3.2 certificates are available on request.
Sources
- Cushman & Wakefield, India Data Centre H1 2026 update (23 September 2026)
- ThePrint, Inside Chennai's data centres (17 February 2026)
- India Meteorological Department 1991 to 2020 normals and records for Nungambakkam, with rainfall at Chennai airport, as tabulated in Wikipedia's climate table
- ASME B16.5, Pipe Flanges and Flanged Fittings: pressure-temperature ratings