[Exclusive] Nvidia Joins the Rush for Supply... Lines Up to Request 800V DC Designs from Korean Power Companies [Direct Current Era] ①

Big Tech Approaches the Power Industry Directly
Large-Scale Power Supply and a Race for Speed
NVIDIA Proposes the '800V DC' Standard
Accelerating Investment and Development in DC-Based Infrastructure

Global big tech companies are making frequent visits to Korean power equipment manufacturers. As the pace of building artificial intelligence (AI) data centers has vastly outstripped the expansion of existing power grids, securing electricity has become a matter of business survival. Now, big tech firms are desperately seeking out Korean suppliers, bringing their own power grid blueprints in hand and pleading for supply, using any means necessary.

In fact, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has held multiple meetings with the domestic power industry since late last year, and recently signed a power infrastructure supply contract worth 170 billion won with LS ELECTRIC. As annual investment in U.S. data centers has grown to 400 trillion won, competition among big tech companies to secure power has intensified. AWS’s recent moves are seen as a strategy to gain a competitive edge in power efficiency. A full-fledged race has begun to design systems that reduce power loss and increase density.

This trend is accelerating further. Notably, Nvidia has started demanding more radical design changes to overcome the limitations of traditional alternating current (AC) systems. According to industry sources on April 22, Nvidia recently requested that major Korean power equipment makers design data center infrastructure based on direct current (DC) at the 800V level. This move aims to minimize power conversion losses to cope with the explosive power consumption of AI servers. Nvidia is reportedly engaged in behind-the-scenes discussions with Korean companies regarding specific data center cooperation.

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, held a press conference on March 17 (local time) at the Hilton Signia Hotel in San Jose, California, USA. Photo by Reuters.

Currently, most power facilities, including data centers, are built on alternating current. Industrial voltages also differ by region: in Asia, they range from 380V to 400V, while in the United States, they span from 208V to 600V.

In terms of power flow, the structure is even more complex. Incoming AC power is stepped down via a transformer, then converted to DC in an uninterruptible power supply and stored in batteries. It is then converted back to AC for delivery to servers, and inside the server’s power supply, it is once again converted to DC.

The problem is that this repeated conversion between AC and DC leads to a 2-3% power loss at each stage. Across the entire system, these inefficiencies add up to a significant cumulative loss. Nvidia is proposing to redesign the system so that power is supplied as DC from the outset, aiming to fundamentally change the existing structure and reduce these losses.

The key issue is compatibility with existing infrastructure. If the system is changed to use 800V DC, connection efficiency with high-voltage AC transmission grids for long-distance power delivery will inevitably decline. Comprehensive redesigns would be required for substations, distribution facilities, and the internal power structures of data centers. Currently, multiple distribution voltages coexist in Korea—such as 7.6kV, 13.2kV, and 38kV—which makes standardization difficult. As a result, the power industry has maintained the AC-centric structure, accepting inefficiencies.

However, Nvidia’s demands are rapidly changing the landscape. As Nvidia, the leader in the AI semiconductor market, sets new standards, the power industry is beginning to adapt accordingly. What was once mere discussion about switching to DC has now reached the stage of actual investment and technological development. An industry official said, “There have been ongoing discussions about DC conversion, but progress was slow. Now that Nvidia has set a direction, facility investment and technology development are moving forward simultaneously.”

Nvidia’s Standard Outpaces Industry Norms

The power industry sees this trend not just as a technological shift, but as a signal that the entire power infrastructure is undergoing transformation. As AI demand rises, competition for power efficiency in data centers is heating up, and DC-based high-voltage systems are expected to become the new standard. According to the International Energy Agency, global data center power consumption is projected to rise from 415 TWh in 2024 to 950 TWh in 2030 and 1,300 TWh by 2035. As electricity usage soars, there is a stronger case for introducing DC-based systems that can reduce losses.

However, there are practical concerns that the DC ecosystem will only take root if the power equipment industry makes active investments in technology development. Chae Yoon Bae, Head of Basic Technology Research at LS ELECTRIC, said, “The data center market represents boundless potential for the power industry, but infrastructure restructuring is necessary, so entry is still difficult for most companies. From a global perspective, it’s not enough for a single company to excel; multiple firms need to get involved so the market can expand.”

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