New adiabatic cooling technology saves water up to 90pc

As industries seek greener, high-performance cooling solutions, Paharpur Cooling Towers is leading the charge. In this exclusive interaction, Kanad Banerjee, Vice President—Special Products, shares how innovations like the Infinium adiabatic range transform cooling efficiency, sustainability, and digital integration across sectors.

What growth do you foresee for cooling towers as a sustainable cooling solution?

Cooling towers are poised to play a vital role in the sustainability transition of India’s industrial and infrastructure sectors. As energy and water use come under increasing regulatory and environmental scrutiny, industries seek technologies that reduce operational footprints without compromising performance. The market is witnessing a shift toward solutions that combine thermal efficiency with resource conservation. Our Infinium adiabatic cooling technology epitomises this evolution. It is designed to reduce water consumption by up to 90 percent, allowing industries to maintain high cooling performance while meeting sustainability goals. As awareness and urgency around environmental responsibility grow, we foresee significant adoption of such advanced cooling systems across sectors. With India facing rising cooling demands and increasing water scarcity, the need for efficient, water-saving solutions is greater than ever. For example, our Infinium adiabatic cooling technology offers a sustainable alternative to traditional evaporative systems by achieving up to 90 percent water savings, making it highly attractive for greenfield and retrofit applications.

Could you brief us on the manufacturing process for process cooling equipment and the industries where Paharpur Cooling Solutions is making an impact? 

Paharpur employs a highly engineered and quality-driven manufacturing approach. Our process starts with thermal design using advanced simulation tools, followed by in-house fabrication and precise assembly techniques. Each unit undergoes rigorous quality assurance tests to ensure compliance with global standards. Our cooling solutions cater to various sectors—power, petrochemicals, steel, cement, automotive, pharmaceuticals, and especially the growing data centre market. The Infinium range, with its factory-assembled, plug-and-play design, is particularly impactful in industries facing water constraints and requiring rapid deployment with minimal site work.

How do you address retrofitting an existing cooling tower that does not align with present environmental regulations? 

Retrofitting legacy cooling towers is a strategic focus area for us. Our approach involves conducting a detailed site evaluation to assess thermal efficiency, water and energy consumption, and environmental compliance. Based on the findings, we offer tailored upgrades – from replacing existing fans and fill media to completely replacing the units – with equivalent cooling towers or Infinium adiabatic cooler modules, in case of water scarcity. For many clients, transitioning to an Infinium-based retrofit brings immediate compliance with modern water and energy regulations, often without major civil, electrical and hydraulic modifications. This ensures cost-effective modernisation with reduced downtime and improved sustainability metrics.

How are digital technologies like IoT, real-time sensors, and predictive analytics transforming the design and operation of cooling towers? 

Digital technologies have redefined the way cooling systems are managed and maintained. At Paharpur, our proprietary Infinium i-Connect platform enables real-time remote equipment performance monitoring via IoT sensors and cloud connectivity. This allows operators to receive predictive maintenance alerts, track KPIs such as energy usage and temperature differentials, and respond to issues before they lead to failures. When integrated with our Infinium adiabatic units, i-Connect optimises fan speeds and water spray systems based on actual environmental and load conditions, resulting in adaptive, efficient, and low-maintenance operation.

What technologies are currently available to improve thermal efficiency while reducing water and/ or energy consumption in cooling towers? 

Today, the most effective solutions combine design innovation with smart controls. These include EC fans, VFD-controlled motors, high-performance heat exchanger coils, and intelligent automation systems that adjust cooling based on real-time demand and ambient weather conditions. The Infinium product line integrates all these technologies into a cohesive, factory-assembled unit that adapts to seasonal and load variations. The adiabatic pre-cooling function activates only when required, preserving water while ensuring consistent cooling performance. This balance between energy efficiency and water conservation is critical for sustainable industrial cooling applications.

What strategies does Paharpur Cooling Towers employ to combat issues like scaling, fouling, corrosion, and biological growth in cooling tower operations? 

Paharpur adopts a proactive, multi-faceted strategy to tackle these persistent challenges in the innovative Infinium range of products. Our systems use corrosion-resistant materials, such as stainless steel, alongside engineered fin coatings that reduce the risk of scaling and fouling. In Infinium systems, the closed-circuit loop design helps isolate process fluid from contaminants, while intermittent adiabatic wetting ensures lower water usage and minimal conditions for biological growth. Additionally, a water quality-based bleed system enables the system to operate with optimal CoC and prevent scaling on the adiabatic pads. The Infinium i-connect remote monitoring system triggers preventive maintenance alarms for timely intervention to maintain safe and efficient operations.

What innovations or R&D efforts are shaping the future of cooling tower systems?

Paharpur’s R&D is deeply invested in shaping the next generation of cooling technologies that are smarter, more sustainable, and future-ready. The key pillars guiding our innovation roadmap are environmental stewardship, digital transformation, and modular engineering. On the sustainability front, our teams are developing advanced heat exchanger coil geometries using next-gen materials that enhance thermal efficiency while reducing pressure drop, leading to lower energy consumption.

We are exploring coatings and surface treatments that further mitigate corrosion and fouling, extending equipment life and minimising or eliminating the chemical usage. Digitalisation is another cornerstone of our R&D strategy. Our Infinium i-Connect platform continuously evolves to support deeper integration with cloud-based analytics, real-time performance monitoring, and predictive maintenance. This will allow customers to proactively manage cooling infrastructure based on usage trends, weather patterns, and even grid energy pricing, enhancing operational agility and cost efficiency. The Infinium range is at the heart of our forward-looking innovation.

Building on its strong adiabatic cooling and low water consumption foundation, the next-generation Infinium systems will incorporate embedded diagnostics capable of self-optimising system behaviour. These advancements will reduce human dependency and allow the system to react autonomously to changes in environmental or process load conditions. Our modular plug-and-play design philosophy ensures that our cooling systems can be rapidly deployed, easily maintained, and flexibly scaled—a critical need for fast-evolving industries like data centres, EV manufacturing, and green hydrogen production. Ultimately, our innovations are not just about pushing the technological envelope—they are about enabling our customers to simultaneously meet their environmental, economic, and operational goals. Paharpur’s vision is to set a new benchmark in the cooling industry where intelligent, sustainable, and robust solutions like Infinium become the default choice for future-forward enterprises.