Direct Current Era

As competition in the artificial intelligence (AI) data center sector intensifies, the method of power delivery is shifting from simple equipment supply to “integrated design and packaged solutions.” With the importance of delivering large volumes of power in a timely manner, companies are moving beyond merely connecting power lines. They are now designing and supplying entire direct current (DC) distribution systems or deploying modular facilities near data centers. According to the power industry on April 22, as AI data centers emerge as core infrastructure, power companies are being required to ensure both “stable supply of high-capacity power” and “optimization of system efficiency.” This trend coincides with Nvidia’s roadmap for DC-based data centers, prompting power equipment companies to accelerate the development of high-efficiency, data center-specific power systems. The latest approach gaining attention is the “integrated package” strategy, which involves designing comprehen

South Korea's power equipment industry is accelerating efforts to upgrade data center power networks in line with NVIDIA's proposed "800-volt direct current (DC) roadmap." Moving beyond simple equipment supply, these companies are targeting structural changes such as voltage upgrades and DC conversion as future growth drivers. The three major power companies?LS ELECTRIC, HD Hyundai Electric, and Hyosung Heavy Industries?are responding in the short term to the increase in distribution voltage in the U.S. market, while in the mid- to long-term, they are seeking to expand their business scope into internal data center power networks by promoting semiconductor transformers and DC circuit breakers. According to the power industry on April 22, power equipment manufacturers are formulating both short- and long-term response strategies to align with NVIDIA's 800-volt DC-based data center roadmap. This shift to DC-based power infrastructure inevitably requires comprehensive changes to voltage s

Global big tech companies are making frequent visits to Korean power equipment firms. As the pace of building artificial intelligence (AI) data centers is far outstripping the expansion of existing power grids, securing power has become a matter of survival for their businesses. Now, big tech firms are resorting to all possible means?personally bringing power grid blueprints to Korean companies and pleading for supply guarantees. According to industry sources, Amazon Web Services (AWS) recently signed a power infrastructure supply contract worth 170 billion won with LS ELECTRIC, after holding several meetings with domestic power companies since the end of last year. As annual data center investments in the United States have grown to 400 trillion won, competition among big tech companies to secure power is intensifying. AWS’s move is thus seen as a strategy to gain an edge in power efficiency. The race to reduce power loss and increase density through innovative design is heating up. T