SK Enmove, LG Electronics team up for immersion cooling technology

SK Enmove, a lubricant unit of SK On, and LG Electronics have teamed up to develop next-generation refrigerants, lubricants and immersion cooling technologies for applications across various industries.

SK Enmove CEO Kim Wone-kee and LG Electronics Eco Solution Division President Lee Jae-sung signed a memorandum of understanding a day earlier to jointly develop new refrigerants, refrigeration lubricants and immersion cooling technologies for home appliances, commercial and industrial applications.

Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly develop next-generation refrigerants in response to tightening global environmental regulations. The refrigerants will be designed to meet international environmental regulations and refrigerant standards, with a global warming potential below 150 and no per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

SK Enmove will develop refrigerant candidates, while LG Electronics will assess their commercial applicability using its experience with heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) products and systems in global markets.

The two companies will also conduct joint research on refrigeration lubricants in line with the next-generation refrigerants. While refrigerants carry heat, refrigeration lubricants reduce friction and wear between key components of HVAC systems.

The companies will also strengthen their partnership in immersion cooling, a technology that reduces heat by directly submerging servers or other heat-generating components in nonconductive fluids. The technology is gaining attention as a next-generation cooling solution that can improve the power and cooling efficiency of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

The two sides previously formed a team with Green Revolution Cooling of the U.S. to conduct proof-of-concept testing and explore commercialization of immersion cooling solutions for AI data centers. Under the latest partnership, LG Electronics and SK Enmove will expand their cooperation to explore applications for energy storage systems, electric vehicle components and other high-heat equipment.

“Heat management technology is a key factor in determining energy efficiency and product performance,” Kim said. “Through our partnership with LG Electronics, we will accelerate the development of next-generation refrigerants, refrigeration lubricants and immersion cooling technologies and expand commercialization opportunities across various industries.”

“By combining LG Electronics’ HVAC technologies with SK Enmove’s expertise in refrigerants and refrigeration lubricants, we will strengthen our competitiveness in next-generation heat management solutions and continue to explore new business opportunities in global markets,” Lee said.