Hanwha Construction is set to secure energy-saving technologies for AI data centers. Building on its experience in data center design and construction, the company aims to expand its business into power operation and cooling technologies.
On August 12, Hanwha Construction announced that it has been selected as a project contractor for a national research initiative on energy efficiency, led by the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment and the Korea Energy Technology Evaluation Institute.
The project consists of three areas: demand resource management for data centers, the development of high-efficiency modular uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and direct liquid cooling technology for high-density AI data centers. Hanwha Construction will be responsible for on-site application and verification.
The research initiative will be conducted in a consortium format involving Hanwha Construction, Ion, Hanyang University, and the Korea Electronics Technology Institute. The total scale of the three projects is approximately 43.8 billion won.
Demand resource management for data centers involves using AI to predict server power consumption and cooling loads to enhance energy efficiency. Hanwha Construction aims to reduce peak energy usage by more than 10% by reviewing power systems, equipment configurations, and operational conditions.
The company will also conduct a demonstration of its self-developed ceiling-mounted electric vehicle charging system, 'EV Air Station,' utilizing vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. This method supplies power from electric vehicle batteries to the power grid, exploring future possibilities for power supply using charging infrastructure.
The high-efficiency modular UPS development project focuses on enhancing stable power supply and operational efficiency for data centers. The goal is to increase the current power conversion efficiency from about 90% to a maximum of 97.5%.
Direct liquid cooling technology represents a next-generation cooling method that removes heat by directly contacting a liquid with the heat source. The aim is to reduce cooling power energy consumption by more than 90% compared to traditional air cooling methods.
As demand for AI data centers grows, construction companies' competitiveness is likely to extend beyond mere construction capabilities to include integrated design for power, cooling, and operational efficiency.
Hanwha Construction is currently involved in 13 data center projects, including the hyper-scale Changwon Defense AI Data Center, which can accommodate over 100,000 servers, and the Ansan Kakao Data Center.
Kim Min-seok, head of Hanwha Construction's Architectural Division, stated, “This national project will serve as an opportunity to expand our data center business from design and construction into the energy sector and accelerate the introduction of bidirectional charging technology using ceiling-mounted electric vehicle chargers.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.