Samsung to invest 240B won in Korean plant for AI data centre cooling
What's the deal? Samsung ElectronicsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → will invest about 240 billion won ($158 million) to build a new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) production line in Gwangju, Korea. The 21,800m² facility is set to begin production in early 2028.
What's the endgame? The line will mainly manufacture coolant distribution units (CDUs), the core component in liquid-cooled data centres that regulates coolant pressure and temperature. It will also produce fan wall units, computer room air handlers, and air handling units aimed at AI data centres and advanced manufacturing.
Why now? The move builds on Samsung's 2025 acquisition of German HVAC company FläktGroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, bought from TritonDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → for €1.5 billion and closed in November. Gwangju will become FläktGroup's 15th production base and brings its technology to Korea.
Why liquid cooling? As power per AI server rack surges from 10-15kW to 100kW or more, traditional air cooling has hit its physical limits. That makes liquid cooling, and the CDUs at its centre, a necessity for high-density data centres.
The bigger push: The plant extends a fast-growing network. On 12 August 2026, Samsung opened a FläktGroup factory in Pune, India — the first new plant since the acquisition — giving the business coverage across Europe, North America, India, and Korea.
The signal: Samsung is positioning HVAC as a new growth engine, targeting the global top tier by 2030. With the data centre cooling market growing at 18% annually, the bet ties Samsung's appliance business directly to the AI infrastructure boom.
Read more: ChemNet
Image credit: GovernmentZA
