LG Electronics has received official NVIDIA certification for its 600 kW Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU), a liquid cooling component used to manage heat in AI data centers. The unit passed more than 100 evaluation criteria under NVIDIA’s AI Factory certification program, which sets cooling performance, reliability, and failover standards for high-density AI server deployments.
The certification puts LG among a small group of companies that have cleared NVIDIA’s technical verification process for this class of equipment. For data center operators, NVIDIA certification functions as a procurement shortcut, since it reduces the need for operators to independently vet a supplier’s cooling infrastructure before deployment.
How the CDU works
The 600kW CDU uses Direct-to-Chip (DTC) liquid cooling, sending coolant directly to heat-generating components like GPUs and CPUs rather than relying solely on air cooling. LG says the system runs alongside existing air-cooling setups in a hybrid configuration.
Specs and features LG is citing for the unit:
- Temperature control precision of ±0.25 °C (LG notes actual results will vary by operating environment, server load, and other conditions)
- Virtual sensor technology for real-time monitoring and leak detection
- Integration with LG’s Data Center Cooling Control Manager (DCCM) for predictive control and centralized monitoring
- Support for standard communication protocols used in data center management systems
LG tests the CDU alongside chillers and cold plates at a validation facility in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, where it evaluates the full cooling chain from chip load to chiller under varying temperature and load conditions.
Part of a larger cooling lineup
LG positions the 600 kW CDU as one piece of a “Chip-to-Chiller” portfolio that also includes chillers and cold plates, covering cooling from the chip level up to the cooling plant. The company says it plans to pursue NVIDIA certification next for its larger CDU models, rated at 1 MW, 2.5 MW, and 4 MW.
LG has also picked up cooling contracts for hyperscaler facilities in North America and for Sinar Mas’s SM+ Data Center project in Jakarta, Indonesia, an AI-focused data center.
James Lee, president of LG’s Eco Solution (ES) Company, said the company is expanding its AI infrastructure business with end-to-end cooling solutions as demand for liquid cooling grows alongside AI data center buildouts.
LG’s ES Company has been in the HVAC business for over 60 years and produces components like inverter systems and magnetic bearing compressors in-house for its chiller lineup.
