South Korea Plans 1 GW Solar-Powered Data Center Complex

A large-scale data centre aggregation complex, powered by solar energy, is planned for construction in Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do (Guseong District) in the southwestern region of Korea. As stated in the official release, the selected location is deemed ideal for achieving 100 percent usage of renewable energy (RE100). The area is reportedly said to have abundant renewable energy resources and a relatively robust power grid.

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Participants

On Thursday, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with several organizations, including Jeollanam-do, Haenam-gun, Jeonnam Development Corporation, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), and seven investment companies: Samsung C&T, LG CNS, NH Investment & Securities, Boseong Industrial, TGK, Korea DRD, and Deus Systems, to facilitate the construction of the new complex.

Investment and Construction

The project is anticipated to draw substantial investment, with an estimated value of up to 10 trillion won in private investments dedicated to the establishment of data centres and the associated infrastructure.

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The plan includes creating complexes for site and road construction and aims to attract a total of 25 data centres with a size of 40 MW each, totalling 1 GW by stages leading up to 2037.

The first phase will witness the development of five buildings and a 300 MW substation by the year 2027. During the subsequent second phase, an additional five data centres and a second substation are planned for construction by 2032. In the third and final stage, an extra eight facilities involving overseas companies are slated to be constructed by 2037.