Schneider Electric and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore to Jointly Develop Core Technologies for Floating Data Centers

Business Agreement for Offshore Platform-Based Infrastructure Construction
A Solution to Overcoming AI Data Center Site and Power Limitations

On July 8, Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management and automation, announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore for the joint development of floating data center (FDC) infrastructure technology.

The signing ceremony, held the previous day at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, was attended by key representatives from both companies, including Kwon Ji-woong, CEO of Schneider Electric Korea, and Kim Hyung-kwan, CEO of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore.

Kwon Jiwoong, CEO of Schneider Electric Korea (left), and Kim Hyungkwan, CEO of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore, are taking a commemorative photo after signing a memorandum of understanding for joint development of floating data center infrastructure technology on the 7th at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Schneider Electric Korea

With demand for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers surging in recent years, traditional land-based data centers are facing limitations in securing sites, power supply, and cooling efficiency. As an alternative, FDCs have emerged as a promising solution. Built using offshore floating structures, FDCs can leverage seawater for natural cooling, thereby enhancing energy efficiency. In addition, they enable flexible expansion without the constraints of land sites, making them a next-generation data center model for implementing large-scale, high-density computing infrastructure.

Through this agreement, the two companies have set a goal of "integrated construction of data center infrastructure based on offshore platforms" and will expand cooperation across all areas, including power, cooling, control, and software. Schneider Electric plans to provide FDC-optimized power management solutions, high-density AI workload cooling systems, and digital-based integrated operations management technologies to ensure stability and reliability even in offshore environments.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore possesses expertise in the design and construction of floating structures based on its shipbuilding and marine engineering technology. Leveraging its accumulated engineering capabilities in offshore platforms and power ships, the company is pursuing the implementation of data centers suited for maritime environments and expects to create synergy with Schneider Electric's infrastructure expertise.

Going forward, the two companies plan to jointly review infrastructure architecture and technical requirements for FDC deployment and secure integrated design capabilities by developing solutions tailored to offshore platform environments. In addition, they will continue to share the latest technology trends and engineering issues related to FDCs and seek further opportunities for joint research and development (R&D).

Kim Hyung-kwan, CEO of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore, stated, "HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore is accelerating the development of maritime data center technologies based on our accumulated capabilities in the design and construction of floating structures in the shipbuilding and marine sectors. Through this collaboration, we will further advance the core technologies needed to stably realize large-scale, high-density computing infrastructure at sea."

Kwon Ji-woong, CEO of Schneider Electric Korea, said, "As AI infrastructure expands, power efficiency and sustainability have become important challenges for data centers. By combining Schneider Electric's global data center technology capabilities with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore's marine engineering expertise, we will establish a new standard for next-generation floating data centers."

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