Kakao Data Center to be Completed in 2024... "No Service Disruption Even in Case of Fire"

Hong Eun-taek CEO "Although Late, We Will Increase Data Center Investment"
Developing Customized Manual with Fire Authorities, Kakao Bears Full Cost

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Kakao, which experienced a service blackout due to the SK C&C data center fire, announced that it will diligently prepare its currently under-construction data center to prevent failures caused by various disasters such as fire and earthquakes.

According to Kakao on the 20th, the first data center is being built on the ERICA campus of Hanyang University in Sangnok-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi Province, with the goal of operation in January 2024. It will have 6 floors above ground and 1 basement level, accommodating a total of 4,000 racks of servers.

Hong Eun-taek, Kakao CEO: "We will build a data center with no power outages even in case of fire"

Hong Eun-taek, CEO of Kakao, emphasized the disaster response capabilities of the first data center during a presentation the day before. First, individual fire detection sensors and fire extinguishers will be installed on all enclosed electrical panels in the UPS room and battery room to immediately respond to initial fire suppression upon spark occurrence or temperature rise. Additionally, a backup system using fire extinguishing gas will be established for secondary suppression to ensure complete fire extinguishing in the UPS and battery rooms.

If the first and second suppression attempts fail, the plan is to isolate the fire-affected area and fill it with cooling water to block flames and heat, enabling early fire suppression. Firewalls and freshwater extinguishing methods will be applied to all UPS and battery rooms.

Kakao will apply eco-friendly fire extinguishing gases throughout the entire computer building to protect data and design the system to immediately activate a rapid and efficient firefighting system in emergencies. Sprinklers will also be installed in the operations building where employees work.

Furthermore, Kakao plans to establish a cooperative system between the data center and fire departments to minimize power supply interruptions. Customized fire response manuals will be jointly developed with fire authorities, and regular joint firefighting drills will be conducted. Kakao will bear all costs necessary to prepare for firefighting operations without power outages.

Moreover, the first data center incorporates seismic design standards that comply with legal requirements to withstand earthquakes measuring 6.0 to 6.5 or higher on the Richter scale. To prevent flooding, the first floor is designed to be at least 1.8 meters higher than the surrounding ground level, and major electrical facilities will be located on the above-ground floors.

"Preparing to Ensure No Power Supply Disruptions in Emergencies"

Preparations are also underway to ensure no power supply gaps during disasters. The first data center will receive 40,000 kW of power from the Nam Ansan Substation, and if the main power supply is unexpectedly interrupted, backup power will be supplied through the Seongpo Substation. To prepare for line issues, a dedicated line between the first and second data centers will be installed at a cost of 60 billion KRW.

CEO Hong said, "We are preparing so that the first and second data centers are connected by a dedicated duct for easy backup. We believe it is most important for the data centers to be self-sufficient, so we are preparing accordingly." He added, "Building a dedicated duct between Kakao’s own data centers will cost about 60 billion KRW."

Considering that data centers must maintain an optimal temperature of 21 to 27 degrees Celsius, which results in high power consumption, Kakao plans to safely operate servers within the data center through dualization of power, communication, control, and cooling systems.

Kakao has decided to expand investments in data centers, including the construction of the second data center. The second data center will have a capacity of 8,000 racks, with construction starting in March 2024 and operation targeted for January 2027. It is planned to be built on the Seoul National University Siheung campus, with 10 floors above ground and 2 basement levels, and site negotiations are currently underway.

CEO Hong stated, "Above all, we will strive to secure various budgets such as infrastructure and manpower," adding, "We will take this incident as a lesson to build disaster prevention facilities such as fire protection and seismic resistance more safely in our own data centers."

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