[Click e-Stock] "Otec's AI Data Center Business Gains Momentum with Expanded NVIDIA-Certified CDU Lineup"

Otec is accelerating the expansion of its related businesses after securing a series of major contracts to supply cooling equipment for AI data centers. Its subsidiary, Otec Carrier, was selected as the preferred bidder to supply cooling equipment for a 200 MW AI data center in Gumi. It has also expanded its lineup of NVIDIA-certified coolant distribution units (CDUs), prompting analysts to view its data center cooling solutions business as a new growth driver.

Otec, which was listed on the KOSDAQ in 2003, specializes in special-purpose vehicles and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment. In the first half of this year, its revenue mix by segment was 61% from heating and air conditioning equipment, 23% from refrigeration and cold storage equipment, 10% from special-purpose vehicles, and 6% from parking systems.

Its performance is also improving. Otec posted consolidated revenue of KRW 251 billion in the second quarter of this year, down 8.8% from a year earlier, while operating profit rose 71.3% to KRW 5.1 billion. Independent research firm Value Finder attributed the improvement in profitability to a better product mix resulting from increased sales of cold-chain products, as well as the seasonal peak-demand effect.

Otec Carrier is expanding its orders in the AI data center market. After being selected in August as the supplier of cooling solutions for a 48 MW AI data center in the Seoul metropolitan area, it has now been selected as the preferred bidder to supply cooling equipment for a 200 MW AI data center in Gumi.

Ji Hu, a researcher at Value Finder, said, "Otec Carrier is pursuing the supply of a total of 160 units of Carrier Global's high-efficiency, air-cooled inverter screw chiller, the AquaForce 30XFZ, for a hyperscale data center project based on NVIDIA Rubin. This would be the largest supply for a single project in the company's history." Ji added, "The integrated control system SmartView is expected to enable the company to expand beyond equipment supply into maintenance and operations services."

The company is also expanding its product lineup to target the liquid cooling market. Carrier Global's 1.3 MW CDU, the 65LL, received NVIDIA quality certification and was listed on the NVIDIA Marketplace, further broadening Otec Carrier's portfolio of cooling products for AI data centers.

Otec Carrier is also preparing to introduce a 2.6 MW CDU in Korea. Carrier Global is testing the product with the goal of obtaining NVIDIA certification by the end of this year.

Ji added, "As AI data centers grow in scale and multi-rack deployments become more widespread, air cooling alone is reaching its limits in controlling heat, and the adoption of liquid cooling is expanding rapidly. Expanding the product lineup for AI data centers will therefore lead to improved performance in the future."

With its cold-chain business improving its product mix and demand for AI data center cooling growing, attention is focused on whether Otec's cooling solutions business can expand beyond its traditional HVAC and refrigeration operations into data center infrastructure.

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