As the establishment of an AI data center cluster in the Honam region emerges as a national strategic project, competition among cooling infrastructure companies is intensifying. The rise of generative AI and the adoption of high-performance GPUs have pushed data center heat management to a critical point, making cooling technology a key factor in facility competitiveness.
Otek Carrier, an energy solutions company based in the Hanam Industrial Complex in Gwangju, announced on June 30 that it will significantly expand its data center cooling solutions based on HVAC technology. The company views the government's recently announced plan for the establishment of national AI computing infrastructure in Gwangju and Jeonnam, part of the 'Three Mega Projects for Korea's Great Leap,' as a catalyst for increased demand.
Otek Carrier has developed a dedicated cooling portfolio for data centers in collaboration with global HVAC leader Carrier. The portfolio includes next-generation technologies such as Fan Wall Units (FWU), Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC), and Cooling Distribution Units (CDU). The company is also enhancing its capabilities in integrated cooling solutions that manage heat from server chips to chillers through a 'Chip-to-Chiller' approach.
Industry experts point out that as AI server density increases, the limitations of traditional air-cooled systems become more evident. The latest NVIDIA graphics cards, which are installed in high-density racks, can reach power densities of several tens of kilowatts per rack, making it difficult to effectively dissipate heat using air alone. Consequently, the demand for liquid cooling methods like DLC and CDU is rapidly increasing both domestically and internationally.
Otek Carrier emphasizes its strength in not just supplying individual equipment but also designing and operating entire cooling systems for data centers. The company offers a range of products, including high-efficiency water-cooled centrifugal chillers using eco-friendly refrigerants, air-cooled chillers based on free cooling technology, and modular chillers, along with integrated services that include energy management systems and digital predictive maintenance solutions.
The semiconductor production sector is also a key target area for Otek Carrier. Given that advanced foundry processes require temperature uniformity at the nanometer level to directly influence yield, the company believes that the application of HVAC-based cooling solutions capable of precise temperature control can extend from data centers to semiconductor fabs.
An Otek Carrier representative stated, "As AI data centers and the advanced semiconductor industry expand, cooling technology will become a core infrastructure competitiveness rather than just a facility. We will supply high-efficiency cooling infrastructure solutions necessary for the Honam AI and semiconductor cluster through our domestic HVAC manufacturing capabilities and collaboration with global Carrier."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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