LG Group will showcase its comprehensive artificial intelligence data center (AIDC) technologies at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 in Barcelona, Spain, from February 2-5 (local time). The conglomerate aims to strengthen its global position as a key AI infrastructure provider by presenting solutions spanning power, cooling, and operations. The company also seeks to expand AIDC partnerships with overseas tech firms through the event.
LG Uplus, LG Group's telecommunications affiliate, announced on the 24th that it will introduce the "ONE LG Strategy" for AIDC implementation at MWC. The presentation will focus on cutting-edge technologies and next-generation operational strategies to be applied at the Paju AIDC, targeted for completion in 2027.
Stable AIDC operations have emerged as a critical issue in the global AI industry. Data centers cannot perform optimally without solutions for heat generated by high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) and power peak challenges during AI computations. This has elevated cooling systems and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) to essential solution status. While industry attention previously centered on GPUs themselves, comprehensive operational capabilities that sustain GPU performance over time have become increasingly important.
LG Uplus, as a data center operator, plans to capture the global AIDC market by combining capabilities with LG Electronics, which produces chillers, and LG Energy Solution, which supplies UPS batteries. LG Uplus and LG Electronics will present a liquid cooling solution that attaches dedicated metal plates to GPU chips and circulates liquid through coolant distribution units (CDUs) to directly remove heat. The coolant required for liquid cooling is produced by LG Electronics' air-cooled chillers. This system can reduce power consumption to approximately 10% of conventional levels by utilizing cold outside air to generate coolant. Additionally, LG Energy Solution's high-performance UPS batteries for the Paju AIDC immediately correct power during outages or voltage fluctuations, minimizing fire and thermal runaway risks.
LG Uplus will apply integrated group company technologies across data center operations. The company will directly handle design, construction, and operations, leveraging 27 years of expertise from managing 15 data centers nationwide. Through an AI-based infrastructure management system that monitors power usage, temperature, and humidity in real time, the company aims to achieve 99.99% data center infrastructure uptime.
The "ONE LG Strategy" has attracted interest from global big tech companies. LG Group executives visited Microsoft headquarters in the United States last December to discuss AIDC cooperation, presenting HVAC systems and total power solutions. Separately, LG Electronics signed an agreement last year to supply cooling solutions for the Middle East's largest net-zero AI data center as part of Saudi Arabia's smart city development project.
In Southeast Asia, AIDC construction under the ONE LG strategy is already underway. LG CNS, LG Electronics, and LG Energy Solution are participating in a massive AIDC project in Jakarta through cooperation with Sinar Mas Group, Indonesia's third-largest conglomerate. LG CNS will implement a hybrid cooling system combining LG Electronics' air-cooled and liquid cooling technologies.
Industry observers believe AIDC could become a new growth engine for LG Group. LG Uplus recorded AIDC revenue of 422 billion won last year, up 18.4% year-over-year. LG Electronics saw its data center chiller orders triple during the same period and targets 1 trillion won in related revenue by 2027.
The AIDC market is projected to grow to approximately 200 trillion won within ten years. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global AIDC market will expand from $21.27 billion (approximately 31 trillion won) this year to $133.51 billion (approximately 193 trillion won) by 2034. An industry official said, "Major Korean conglomerates with both IT and manufacturing capabilities are well-positioned for overseas AIDC expansion," adding that "stable operational expertise and rapid deployment will provide qualitative advantages."