KT and Korea Gas Corporation Collaborate to Develop 'Carbon Zero IDC'

Shin Su-jeong, Head of KT Enterprise Division (left), and Lee Seung, Vice President of Korea Gas Corporation, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing the MOU.

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] KT announced on the 22nd that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korea Gas Corporation to jointly develop a cooling solution for internet data centers (IDC) utilizing the cold energy of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Through this MOU, the two companies will begin cooperation on ▲developing and verifying IDC cooling solutions using LNG cold energy ▲collaborative development of domestic and international IDC projects utilizing LNG cold energy ▲development of domestic and international cold chain businesses using LNG cold energy technology.

LNG cold energy is the energy generated during the vaporization process of LNG, which is an ultra-low temperature heat source at minus 162°C. It can reduce the investment and operating costs of cooling systems necessary to maintain the appropriate temperature in IDCs. According to KT, applying the LNG cold energy system to KT’s Yongsan IDC is expected to save about 12 MWh of power consumption monthly. This corresponds to the electricity usage of 30,000 households consuming 400 Wh per month. Typically, IDCs use about 30% of their total power consumption to operate equipment for temperature control.

Furthermore, KT explained, "If this technology is commercialized and applied to IDCs, it will contribute to the government’s carbon emission reduction policies and also reduce IDC operating costs. It is expected that projects can be promoted even in regions where IDC construction has been limited due to power shortages or where stable service provision was difficult."

Lee Seung, Vice President of Korea Gas Corporation, said, "We expect synergy between Korea Gas Corporation’s LNG business know-how and KT’s IDC business capabilities, and plan to accelerate cold energy utilization projects not only domestically but also overseas through this agreement."

Shin Sujeong, Head of KT Enterprise Division, said, “We will accelerate ESG management through the development of eco-friendly IDC cooling technology with Korea Gas Corporation,” adding, “This is expected to be a stepping stone for realizing carbon-zero IDCs for the next generation.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.