South Korea invests $35 billion to build a "huge" capacity AI data center in South Jeollam
According to the latest data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), South Korea is currently the world's 12th largest economy with a GDP of about 1,839 billion USD in 2024. In the context of accelerating digital transformation and technology development, the country is preparing to deploy one of the world's largest artificial intelligence (AI) data center projects in South Jeollam Province.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the new data center will have a capacity of up to 3 gigawatts (GW) — three times the size of the Stargate project announced by the US earlier this year. For comparison, each data center under the Stargate project has a capacity of about 1 GW, equivalent to a nuclear reactor, according to Investing.com.
The project, with a total investment of 35 billion USD, is being developed by Stock Farm Road. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Jeollam Province to lay the groundwork for construction, which is expected to start in late 2025 and be completed in 2028.
The data center will be equipped with:
- Advanced cooling technology
- Regional and international fiber optic bandwidth system
- Ability to handle large and sudden energy loads
The project is not only a key infrastructure project, but also a platform for the next generation of AI, promoting technological innovation and regional economic growth. The project is expected to create about 10,000 jobs across many fields: energy, technology, equipment manufacturing and research.
Amin Badr-El-Din, co-founder of Stock Farm Road, shared:
“This is not only a technological step but also a strategy to enhance Korea's global position in the field of AI.”
Stock Farm Road is known for its extensive experience in applying AI and data analytics to energy resource management. The company also operates a smart energy platform to support the implementation of this project.
On the local government side, South Jeollam Province pledged to provide legal and procedural support for the project to start on schedule. Brian Koo, co-founder of Stock Farm Road, believes that the project will be a launch pad for a new digital industrial revolution not only in Korea but also across the region.
Looking further ahead, the company says this is just the beginning of a global strategy. Over the next 18 months, Stock Farm Road will expand its AI data center model to Asia, Europe, and the United States.
Notably, the choice of South Jeollam over the Seoul metropolitan area is in line with the South Korean government's new policy to distribute data centers out of the capital, forming specialized technology parks.
However, according to expert John Pritchard from Cushman & Wakefield, this also comes with challenges in terms of latency and distance to end users, so urban centers still play an important role in the digital ecosystem.
Source: vnexpress.net