Samsung’s Gwangju HVAC Plant Turns Its FläktGroup Deal Into an AI Cooling Investment

Samsung Electronics broke ground on September 21, 2026, for a FläktGroup heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) production line at the third campus of its Gwangju manufacturing complex. The project gives Samsung a planned Korean manufacturing base for cooling equipment aimed at AI data centers and other large facilities—not just another line for household air conditioners.1321

From acquisition to production

Samsung plans to invest about 240 billion won in the Gwangju line. The Korea Herald valued that at approximately $179 million, although other reports give different dollar equivalents; the won amount is the consistent figure.129 News coverage describes a 21,800-square-meter facility, targeted to begin full-scale operations in early 2028 and to become FläktGroup’s 15th global production site.316

The investment follows Samsung’s 2025 agreement to buy German HVAC specialist FläktGroup for €1.5 billion, a deal Reuters linked to demand for cooling in AI data centers. Samsung subsequently announced that it had completed the acquisition. Gwangju moves that strategy from ownership of an HVAC specialist toward additional manufacturing capacity in South Korea.242721

What the Gwangju line is planned to make

Samsung lists coolant distribution units, fan wall units, computer-room air handlers and air-handling units among the planned products. It identifies AI data centers, advanced manufacturing facilities and large commercial buildings as applications; reporting also names semiconductor and battery plants. Together, the product categories show a push into both liquid-cooling distribution and large-scale air-handling equipment.2117

That broadens the role of Gwangju, long associated with Samsung’s home-appliance production, into a planned hub for data-center cooling. Reporting also positions the line to serve large projects in East Asia. The factory’s commercial impact, however, will depend on construction, production ramp-up and customer demand rather than the groundbreaking alone.254

Leadership and local commitments

Samsung Device eXperience division head Roh Tae-moon, FläktGroup CFO Tobias Ketterle and regional officials attended the ceremony. Roh described HVAC as a key growth engine for Samsung. Samsung also said it would prioritize safety through construction and production stabilization, recruit and develop local talent, and work with regional suppliers. Those are stated commitments, not outcomes already achieved.211

What remains uncertain: Samsung’s FläktGroup announcement describes a 21,500-square-meter line and operations after completion by the end of 2028, rather than the 21,800 square meters and early-2028 start reported around the groundbreaking. The available accounts do not resolve those differences. They also do not establish how fully Samsung will integrate development, installation and maintenance for the new facility’s products.9311