KT Cloud is joining a project to build an artificial intelligence data center (AIDC) in Gunsan, Jeonbuk State. The company plans to apply liquid-cooling designs on every floor — a first in Korea — so the facility can house Nvidia's next-generation AI accelerator, Vera Rubin.
KT Cloud said on the 28th that it will take charge of the entire design, build and operate (DBO) process for the Gunsan AIDC project led by SGC Energy, an integrated energy company.
The project covers a 115,702-square-meter site in Gunsan. Construction of the first phase, a 60-megawatt modular data center, is set to begin late this year, with operations targeted for the first quarter of 2028. Capacity will be expanded in stages to a total of 300 MW.
As the DBO partner, KT Cloud will handle data center design consulting, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) work, commissioning for stability and operational verification, and the actual operation of the facility. Hyundai Engineering will serve as a joint contractor, carrying out construction, civil engineering, equipment, landscaping and telecommunications work, along with some power and cooling facilities.
The Gunsan data center is notable for being the first in Korea to apply a liquid-cooling-based design across all floors in preparation for Vera Rubin. The aim is to design power and cooling infrastructure in advance, taking into account the high heat output and high density of next-generation AI accelerators. The data center will also be built using a modular and skid solution, in which power and cooling equipment, including liquid cooling, is prefabricated in modules at a factory and then assembled and installed on site. That approach minimizes on-site work, securing uniform quality while cutting construction time by more than 50%.
KT Cloud plans to use Gunsan as a key base for AIDC projects outside the greater Seoul area and to expand its AIDC supply to a total of 1 gigawatt by 2031. "The Gunsan AI data center is a core project aimed at supplying optimal infrastructure when customers need it, in line with surging demand for AI infrastructure," said Kim Bong-kyun, CEO of KT Cloud. "Based on the capabilities we have accumulated across data center construction and operation, we will secure the quality and stability of large-scale AIDCs and continue to expand our AIDC supply base, including outside the greater Seoul area."
