Samsung Electronics is investing 240 billion won to establish a production base for cooling and air conditioning equipment for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers at its Gwangju facility. The company aims to expand its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) business by combining the central air conditioning technology of Plact Group, which it acquired last year, with its manufacturing capabilities to target AI data centers and advanced manufacturing facilities.
On September 21, Samsung Electronics held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Plact Group HVAC production line at its Gwangju facility, attended by CEO of the DX Division, Noh Tae-moon, and Plact Group Chief Financial Officer Tobias Ketteler.
The new line will be located in the third campus of the Gwangju facility, covering an area of 21,800 square meters. It is expected to begin operations in early 2028 and will supply products for AI data centers, semiconductor and battery factories, and large commercial projects in Korea and East Asia.
Products to be manufactured include key components for liquid cooling in AI data centers, such as cooling distribution units (CDU), fan wall units (FWU), computer room air handling units (CRAH), and air handling units (AHU) for large buildings. The company will also establish a business system that connects product development, production, installation, and maintenance.
This new line in Gwangju marks the first Plact production base established in South Korea since Samsung completed its acquisition of the company last year. It is also the first major investment in production facilities at the Gwangju site since its establishment 37 years ago in 1989.
Samsung Electronics is also expanding Plact's production capacity overseas. Last month, it inaugurated a new production line in Pune, India, to meet the demand for data center and industrial air conditioning in India and the Asia-Pacific region, alongside its existing facility in Noida.
The Gwangju facility will now handle not only the production of AI refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners but also large industrial HVAC systems. Samsung plans to enhance its production and supply response speed in the AI data center cooling market based on the new line.
Noh Tae-moon stated, "The groundbreaking of the new Plact Group production line will serve as another milestone for the growth of our core HVAC business. We plan to develop the Gwangju facility into an advanced manufacturing hub that produces both AI appliances and next-generation HVAC solutions."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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