{
  "id": 8826047,
  "title": "LG Electronics Expands AI Data Center Cooling Portfolio With Oil-Free Turbo Chiller",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/lg-electronics-expands-ai-data-center-cooling-portfolio-with-oil-free",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-21T03:12:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Korea IT Times",
    "slug": "korea-it-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreaittimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=157373"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "LG Electronics is bolstering its market presence in the growing AI data center industry with a new, large-capacity cooling system. The company announced on September 20 the launch of an air-cooled, oil-free inverter turbo chiller, which expands its data center cooling product range beyond the existing screw chillers. This new offering caters to high-capacity applications, where AI servers produce significantly more heat than traditional computing systems.\n\nThe system addresses three primary needs for AI data centers: minimizing electricity consumption and total cost of ownership, meeting stricter environmental regulations, and expediting deployment while providing flexible capacity scaling. The key to the system's performance is LG Electronics' proprietary oil-free magnetic bearing technology, which suspends the compressor shaft through electromagnetic force, eliminating mechanical friction and the need for lubricating oil. This design eliminates oil circulation pumps and piping, as well as the potential reduction in cooling performance caused by an oil film inside the heat exchanger.\n\nThe turbo chiller boasts a non-standard part-load value (NPLV) over 20% higher than inverter screw chillers widely used in data centers. This feature, along with the oil-free design, aims to decrease maintenance requirements, extend compressor life, and reduce the risk of downtime. Additionally, a refrigerant-based free-cooling system is included for cooler seasons. The system can bypass the compressor and allow refrigerant to circulate naturally when outdoor temperatures drop, reducing electricity use by up to 30% compared to conventional water-based free-cooling systems.\n\nThe new system utilizes R-513A refrigerant, which has a global warming potential more than 50% lower than R-134a, providing greater flexibility as environmental regulations surrounding refrigerants tighten in major markets. LG Electronics has also implemented a \"Hydronic Modular\" system, integrating pumps, valves, emergency buffer tanks, and other components within an ISO-standard container before delivery to the data center. This modular approach shortens construction and commissioning schedules while enabling operators to scale cooling capacity as needed, making it an ideal solution for AI-focused data centers.",
  "summary": "LG Electronics is stepping up its push into the rapidly expanding AI data center market with a new large-capacity cooling system designed to address the rising power and thermal demands of AI infrastructure.The company said September 20 that it has launched a new air-cooled, oil-free inverter turbo",
  "key_points": [
    "LG Electronics launches oil-free turbo chiller for AI data centers.",
    "System features 20% higher NPLV and oil-free magnetic bearing technology.",
    "R-513A refrigerant reduces global warming potential by over 50%."
  ],
  "editors_take": "LG Electronics' new oil-free turbo chiller strengthens its position in the AI data center market by addressing key needs for efficient cooling, reduced environmental impact, and flexible capacity scaling.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}