The Challenges
Urgent deadline
No setup/ registered local importing entity in Iceland
No suitable air freight options directly to Iceland
High potential for cargo damage with fragile tech
Our Solution
As an experienced Importer of Record for data center gear, we knew that the client’s project required us to:
- Craft a specialized freight solution to move the highly sensitive gear, and
- Provide full white-glove delivery of the hardware to the data center in Iceland.
The Result
“Regardless of the commodity, we ensured precise ECCN and HS code classification, enabling efficient and hassle-free customs clearance.”
– Melissa Tees, AI Branch Operations Manager at TecEx
Deploying Liquid-Cooled Racks
Shipping very specialized hardware, like liquid-cooled racks, can raise compliance and regulatory concerns, particularly around electrical safety and potential leakages.
From a compliance standpoint, it’s critical to know how to navigate the complexities of importing highly regulated equipment and to obtain the relevant import licenses. When liquid cooling agents are involved, importers must ensure the correct permits are in place for those substances.
The actual types of gas agents used to charge the hardware are also subject to regulation, requiring the IOR to hold the correct licensing and to acquire product-specific permits.
As the hardware continues to evolve, so do the regulatory frameworks surrounding it. Our team of experts stays closely aligned with regulatory authorities to ensure we stay ahead of regulatory changes and fully comply with the latest requirements.
Safeguarding Valuable AI Imports with an IOR
Importing tech to Iceland requires a local entity to act as the IOR. While the client was importing to a data center, the actual data center cannot act as the IOR.
Even with a local entity, Icelandic customs can physically inspect a shipment to verify the customs declarations. This puts sensitive AI gear at high risk of potentially costly damage and can delay the shipment from clearing, which can upend an importer’s entire project timeline.
Getting Data Center Gear to Iceland
Due to the equipment’s size, weight, and sensitivity, traditional air freight or container shipping methods were not suitable for the shipment. Transporting fully built liquid-cooled racks is a tricky logistical operation that required us to develop a bespoke deployment strategy.
A roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferry and air-suspension trucks were key to keeping the gear secure. A RORO is a ferry designed to carry wheeled cargo, in this case, the air-suspension trucks. The securely crated racks could be transported directly from a port in the Netherlands to a dock in Iceland via ferry, minimizing handling and reducing the risk of damage.
Our specialized and dedicated team was flown in to oversee the operation. They used custom equipment to gently load the crates onto air-ride trucks in Amsterdam. These trucks, designed to absorb shock and vibration, remained loaded during the ferry crossing to provide continuous protection for the gear.
Upon arrival in Iceland, the trucks could “roll off” the ferry onto the dock, where our team used the same custom gear to disembark the equipment safely.
Load the gear onto air-ride trucks using custom equipment.
Roll the trucks onto a RORO ferry at a port in the Netherlands.
Roll the trucks off the RORO ferry at a port in Iceland.
Disembark and deploy the liquid-cooled racks.
With TecEx acting as the IOR, this specialized solution safeguarded the integrity of the racks throughout the journey by ensuring:
- Minimal impact over rough terrain for a lower risk of cargo damage,
- Fewer touchpoints, so fewer opportunities for mishandling the goods,
- Streamlined loading and unloading of cargo, and
- Simplified inland drayage movements, as cargo can be detached from one truck and attached to another, further reducing touchpoints.
TecEx for Seamless Data Center Deployments
The shipment was delivered using our white-glove delivery solution. This meant that timing was of the utmost importance to ensure timely delivery with the engineering team’s arrival on site. Any delays, such as the equipment being held up in customs, could derail the entire project.
We pride ourselves on sourcing and collating all customs compliance documentation before even shipping the goods. Through our years of experience in shipping and clearing customs for dual-use technologies, we have streamlined our procedures, ensuring that if any inspections do take place, the sensitive hardware is protected from potential damage and customs clearance is done efficiently and effectively. We are committed to facilitating efficient and seamless AI tech and DC gear imports.
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