LG Electronics has become the first South Korean company to receive Nvidia’s certification for a liquid cooling system, strengthening its position to supply next-generation AI data centers as demand for high-performance computing infrastructure accelerates. The company announced Monday that it secured final quality certification for its 600-kilowatt coolant distribution unit, or CDU, a core component that circulates coolant through liquid cooling systems used in AI servers. This validation marks a significant step for LG, allowing it to compete directly with established global suppliers in the rapidly expanding market for AI infrastructure.
Liquid cooling has become increasingly important as AI data centers deploy more high-bandwidth memory and high-performance graphics processing units, sharply increasing power density and heat generation. Conventional air-cooling systems are no longer sufficient for many advanced AI workloads, making direct liquid cooling a key technology. LG Electronics’ CDU uses a direct-to-chip cooling method that circulates coolant through cold plates attached to GPUs and central processing units, removing heat directly from the chips. The system can also operate alongside conventional air cooling to improve thermal efficiency for high-density AI servers.
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The CDU maintains temperature control within ±0.25 degrees Celsius and includes virtual sensors, leak detection and compatibility with integrated data center management systems. It also passed Nvidia’s fault-tolerance tests by automatically switching to backup equipment if a pump or CDU fails, ensuring uninterrupted cooling. This level of precision and reliability is essential for data centers that operate continuously without the luxury of downtime.
LG Electronics said the certification will help accelerate its entry into the global AI data center supply chain, expand partnerships with hyperscale customers and strengthen its competitiveness in securing large-scale projects. The company plans to seek Nvidia certification for higher-capacity CDU models rated at 1 megawatt, 2.5 megawatts and 4 megawatts to meet growing demand from hyperscale AI data centers. Expanding the range of certified capacity allows LG to address the massive power requirements of the largest facilities, moving beyond the initial 600-kilowatt standard.
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While the certification covers a specific range of power ratings, the technology relies on the same fundamental thermal principles that have driven LG’s business for decades. The company is also expanding its thermal management portfolio with a “chip-to-chiller” strategy that covers the full cooling process, from chillers and CDUs to cold plates. This vertical integration gives LG a distinct advantage, as it can manage the entire thermal lifecycle of a data center rather than just supplying a single component.
LG Electronics is also supplying CDUs for AI data center projects led by LG CNS, including design-build-operate projects and modular AI data centers. It has also secured cooling solution contracts for global data center projects, including facilities operated by North American hyperscalers and Indonesia’s Sinar Mas, drawing on its HVAC expertise developed through nuclear power plants and major hospitals. This history of managing complex thermal environments in high-stakes facilities like nuclear plants provides a solid foundation for the precision required in AI computing.
