KT Cloud Starts Work on Gunsan 60 MW AI Data Center, with Expansion Planned to 300 MW

KT Cloud announced on the 28th that it will join SGC Energy's AIDC project in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, as a DBO partner. KT Cloud and SGC Energy will jointly pursue a large-scale AI data center in Gunsan, North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province. KT Cloud will participate in the project throughout the full process, from design to operations.

The project site covers 115,702 square meters in Gunsan. Phase 1 will have a capacity of 60 MW and will take the form of a modular data center. Construction on Phase 1 is set to begin at the end of this year.

The target for full-scale operations is the first quarter of 2028. The total capacity is planned to be expanded in stages to 300 MW depending on market demand.

The expansion direction of this project is to distribute data center infrastructure concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area to regions outside the capital region. The project is focused on laying the groundwork for supplying large-scale AI infrastructure by leveraging local power and site conditions.

KT Cloud will be responsible for the full scope of design consulting, MEP construction, commissioning, and actual operations, overseeing the entire build-and-operation process. Hyundai Engineering will participate as a joint constructor, handling architecture, civil engineering, facilities, landscaping, and communications work, as well as some power and cooling equipment construction.

The build will apply prefabricated modular and skid solutions. Liquid cooling, power, and cooling systems will be manufactured as modules in factories and then assembled and installed on site, with the key goal of reducing on-site work and managing quality consistently. Through this approach, KT Cloud aims to cut the data center build period by more than 50% compared with conventional methods.

The Gunsan AIDC will use a liquid-cooling-based specialized 'AI Ready' design. KT Cloud plans to proactively design the power and cooling infrastructure on every floor so that it can support NVIDIA's next-generation AI accelerator 'Vera Rubin'.

This project is being pursued with high-heat, high-density AI accelerators in mind, and it is designed so that the power and cooling environment can be flexibly adjusted according to each customer's system configuration. The goal is to respond quickly to demand for next-generation GPU-based AI infrastructure.

KT Cloud plans to strengthen commissioning to secure operational stability. From the design and construction stages, it will inspect the performance and interoperability of power, cooling, and control facilities, and it plans to manage the quality of the large-scale AIDC through integrated tests assuming a real operating environment.

KT Cloud has designated Gunsan as a key hub for its non-capital-region AIDC business and plans to gradually expand total AIDC supply to 1 GW by 2031, taking into account regional locations and customer demand. It will continue its cooperation with SGC Energy even as it expands the Gunsan AIDC to 300 MW.

Kim Bong-gyun, CEO of KT Cloud, said the Gunsan AI data center is a key project for supplying optimal infrastructure at the time customers want it, in line with rapidly growing demand for AI infrastructure. He also said the company aims to secure the quality and stability of large-scale AIDCs based on its accumulated capabilities across data center build and operations, while continuing to expand its supply base, including outside the capital region.

Source: TECHWORLD · Kim Seung-gi
Original: https://www.epnc.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=407397

References

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