Samsung Electronics broke ground Monday on a new FlaktGroup heating, ventilation and air-conditioning plant in Gwangju, expanding its capacity to supply cooling systems for artificial intelligence data centers and advanced manufacturing facilities.
Samsung will invest about 240 billion won ($179 million) in the 21,800-square-meter production line at the third campus of its Gwangju manufacturing complex. Full-scale operations are scheduled to begin in early 2028.
Samsung acquired German HVAC specialist FlaktGroup last year to expand beyond residential air conditioners into central air and industrial cooling systems. The company said it plans to combine FlaktGroup’s technology with Samsung’s manufacturing expertise and build an integrated operation spanning product development, production, installation and maintenance.
The latest facility will become FlaktGroup’s 15th global production site and serve customers across South Korea and East Asia. Its target markets include AI data centers, semiconductor and battery plants and large commercial buildings, Samsung said.
The plant will produce coolant distribution units, which control the flow and temperature of liquid used to cool high-performance servers. It will also manufacture fan wall units, computer-room air handlers and air-handling units.
Demand for such equipment is accelerating as increasingly powerful AI servers generate more heat and force data center operators to adopt advanced air- and liquid-cooling systems.
The project also broadens the role of Samsung’s Gwangju complex, traditionally a production base for appliances including refrigerators, washer-dryers and air conditioners. The consumer electronics giant said it aims to develop the site into a global manufacturing hub for both AI-enabled appliances and next-generation HVAC equipment.
“This groundbreaking will mark another milestone in the growth of HVAC, one of the company’s key growth engines,” said Roh Tae-moon, co-CEO and head of Samsung’s Device eXperience division. “We plan to develop the Gwangju site into an advanced manufacturing hub producing both AI appliances and next-generation HVAC solutions.”
Samsung said it would enforce strict safety controls through construction and the stabilization of mass production. It also plans to recruit and train local workers and expand cooperation with regional suppliers.
Roh was joined at the groundbreaking by FlaktGroup Chief Financial Officer Tobias Ketterle and regional government and political officials.
By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)
