LG Uplus, LG Electronics and LG CNS are testing AI and digital twin technology to improve cooling efficiency at LG Uplus data centers
In sum, what to know:
Group pilot – LG Uplus, LG Electronics and LG CNS are testing AI and digital twin technology to improve cooling efficiency at LG Uplus data centers.
Data centers – The project starts at Pyeongchon 2 and will expand to other facilities, with CRAC units and chillers as key targets for optimization.
Scalable ops – The phased effort includes predictive maintenance and integrated monitoring to strengthen LG’s smart data center capabilities.
Korean operator LG Uplus is to launch a verification project for AI-based data center cooling technologies in partnership with LG Electronics and LG CNS. The initiative will combine artificial intelligence (AI) and digital twin technology with the goal of improving cooling efficiency and reduce energy consumption at LG Uplus facilities.
The collaboration aims to control cooling systems with AI and simulate operations with digital-twin technology to cut cooling energy usage by up to 10%. The verification will start in September at the Pyeongchon 2 Center, where AI algorithms and digital twin models will be applied to chillers and computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units. Successful results are expected to be scaled across LG Uplus’s data centers, including the upcoming Paju Center.
Currently, LG Uplus manages several data centers — Pyeongchon 1 and 2, Gasan and Seocho 1 — via an integrated operations platform, with plans to expand this system to Nonhyeon and Sangam by the end of the year. The Paju data center, set to open next year, will incorporate the AI-based operations system from the outset, the report added.
As part of the collaboration efforts, LG Electronics is developing a digital twin-based CRAC control algorithm to determine optimal operating conditions, while LG CNS is designing an AI model of the data center environment. LG CNS also plans to build a scalable platform that can be deployed across other facilities in the future.
The project, which aims to build proprietary, in-house technology that strengthens the group’s data center competitiveness, will be developed in three phases: optimization of cooling and air conditioning, predictive maintenance, and expanded integration of power and equipment monitoring.
To support this initiative, LG Uplus has established a dedicated proof-of-concept testing room at the Pyeongchon 2 data center to collect real-time data and validate the AI controls.
Jeong Suk-kyung, executive director of the AIDC business at LG Uplus, said: “Although there is high interest in AI-based operations within Korea’s data center industry, real-world applications remain limited. Through this verification project, we will enhance cooling efficiency and elevate the competitiveness of smart data centers across the LG Group.”
Last month, LG Uplus announced the launch of a liquid cooling demonstration room at its Pyeongchon 2 data center. The demo room shows advanced cooling systems designed for high-heat, high-density AI server environments. The goal is to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions — key components of what the company refers to as a future-ready Green AI Data Center.
The initiative brings together global cooling companies including Vertiv and CoolIT Systems, as well as Korean firms such as LG Electronics and Global Standard Technology (GST).
Two main technologies are under evaluation: direct-to-chip cooling, where coolant flows through plates attached directly to server components; and immersion cooling, which submerges servers in a thermally conductive oil bath.
In February, the Korean telco noted that the new liquid cooling solution, developed in collaboration with GST and other partners, uses non-conductive fluid immersion to efficiently dissipate heat from servers.
LG Uplus is also working with partners to develop a Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) solution, which circulates water to cool server-generated heat.
