LG Electronics has joined forces with GS Engineering & Construction and Green Revolution Cooling (GRC), a U.S. firm specializing in immersion cooling, to advance immersion cooling technology for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and develop standardized designs.
On Wednesday, LG Electronics announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with GS Engineering & Construction and GRC. The agreement, focused on developing and collaborating on data center immersion cooling technology and equipment, was inked at GS Engineering & Construction’s Seoul headquarters on Tuesday. Key attendees included Oh Se-gi, Vice President and Head of LG Electronics’ ES Research Institute; Jo Sung-han, Vice President and Head of GS Engineering & Construction’s Future Technology Institute; and Choi Dong-hoon, Director of GRC’s Korean branch.
Under this partnership, the three companies will validate the performance and reliability of immersion cooling technology for high-performance AI data centers. They will also jointly develop integrated solutions and standard designs for practical implementation in data center construction.
Immersion cooling is a cutting-edge technique that submerges electronic components like graphic processing units (GPUs) and central proessing units (CPUs) directly in non-conductive cooling fluid to dissipate heat. As AI chips become more powerful, leading to increased heat generation and power consumption in data centers, this next-gen cooling method is gaining significant attention.
Implementing immersion cooling in real-world data centers requires a holistic approach, considering not just cooling equipment but also building structure, plumbing, electrical infrastructure, and maintenance spaces.
In this collaboration, LG Electronics will leverage its expertise in air, liquid, and immersion cooling, providing technology and operational data. The company will also build a cooling solution portfolio based on the jointly developed standard designs.
GS Engineering & Construction will create standard design plans for AI data centers and operate a proof-of-concept (PoC) testbed. This initiative aims to demonstrate the practical aspects of immersion cooling, including equipment layout, structural loads, and plumbing and electrical connections.
GRC will contribute immersion tanks and control technology, participating in system performance improvements by utilizing installation, operation, and maintenance data.
Through this partnership, LG Electronics aims to bolster its competitive edge in AI data center cooling solutions, expanding its portfolio to encompass air, liquid, and immersion cooling technologies.
Currently, LG Electronics offers air cooling solutions, including high-efficiency chillers for large-scale cold water production and fan wall units (FWUs) for cold air supply and heat expulsion. The company has also developed liquid cooling technologies such as cooling distribution units (CDUs) and cold plates that directly absorb heat from semiconductor chips.
Oh Se-gi, Vice President of LG Electronics’ ES Research Institute, stated that they’re committed to ongoing research and development of high-performance, energy-efficient cooling solutions to capture the rapidly expanding AI data center cooling market.
LG Electronics is also strengthening its position in the liquid cooling sector. In July, the company became the first in South Korea to receive NVIDIA quality certification for its 600-kilowatt (kW) CDU. In September, it secured NVIDIA’s DSX Ready approval for its large-capacity CDU. These achievements qualify LG Electronics to supply cooling solutions for AI data centers using NVIDIA chips, having met the cooling design standards set by NVIDIA for its AI factories.
