World’s largest ‘mega’ data center planned for South Korea in $35bn project

(Image credit: Getty Images / quantic69)

Huge new data center is coming to South Korea
Construction of 3GW facility is set to be complete by 2028
The project will cost upwards of $10 billion, but could reach $35bn

Construction for the world’s largest data center has been given the go-ahead in South Korea, and is predicted to bring in an initial revenue of $3.5 billion - with an initial project size of $10 billion and the potential to reach $35 billion.

The data center will be built in the Jeollanam-do province, and will have a 3GW capacity - marking a huge advancement in Korea’s tech leadership, reportedly being able to, ‘triple' the capacity of current hyper-scale facilities operated by the likes of Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.

The project was co-founded by LG Electronics heir Brian Koo and Dr. Amin Badr-El-Din in partnership with Stock Farm Road, who have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Governor Kim of the Jeollanam-do province.

Rapid development

The center is set to complete construction by 2028, by which time the worldwide market is projected to grow to $438.70 billion.

Despite the significant challenges data center development faces, such as a dramatic increase in energy and water consumption, as well as consistent needs for infrastructure upgrades to keep up with, Koo noted the project could, ‘elevate Korea and the region to a new level of technological advancement and economic prosperity’.

Countries across the globe are developing their data center infrastructure, with Meta committing to spending $10 billion dollars to build a new project in the US - although this is only expected to generate 500 direct jobs once completed.

“This is more than just a technological milestone; it's a strategic leap forward for Korea's global technological leadership,” said co-founder Dr. Amin Badr-El-Din.

"We are incredibly proud to partner with Stock Farm Road and the Jeollanam-do government to build this crucial infrastructure, creating an unprecedented opportunity to build the foundation for next-generation AI.”

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Ellen has been writing for almost four years, with a focus on post-COVID policy whilst studying for BA Politics and International Relations at the University of Cardiff, followed by an MA in Political Communication. Before joining TechRadar Pro as a Junior Writer, she worked for Future Publishing’s MVC content team, working with merchants and retailers to upload content.