SK Telecom will also integrate Schneider Electric’s Electrical Transient Analyzer Program (ETAP), a digital twin software for power systems, into its AI Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) platform
In sum – what to know:
First step in Ulsan AIDC build – Schneider Electric will provide mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems for SK Telecom’s planned AI data center, marking the first concrete result of the companies’ March 2025 agreement.
Digital twin integration planned – SK Telecom will embed Schneider Electric’s ETAP software into its AI DCIM platform to enable power optimization and improve operational efficiency.
Expansion across SK Group – A new MoU extends the partnership to SK affiliates, including UPS and energy storage development with SK On battery technology.
Korean telco SK Telecom and Schneider Electric have signed an integrated procurement agreement covering mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) equipment for the planned SK artificial intelligence data center (AIDC) in Ulsan.
In a release, the Korean carrier noted that the agreement builds on a previous Memorandum of Understanding signed at Mobile World Congress 2025 and represents the first concrete step in the companies’ collaboration. Under the terms of the deal, Schneider Electric will provide MEP equipment across five categories, including switchgear, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), transformers, and automated control systems.
As part of the agreement, SK Telecom will also integrate Schneider Electric’s Electrical Transient Analyzer Program (ETAP), a digital twin software for power systems, into its AI Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) platform. The integration aims to improve operational efficiency and enable real-time optimization of power usage, the telco said.
Since March, the pair has been working together on several areas: Combining SK Telecom’s AI DCIM with Schneider Electric’s automated systems, creating reference designs for data centers, developing prefabricated solutions to shorten build times, and exploring Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) offerings.
In addition, the companies signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to expand cooperation across SK Group affiliates. This includes joint work on UPS and energy storage systems using SK On’s lithium-ion battery technology, and efforts to coordinate MEP demand across the group.
“This collaboration marks a significant milestone in setting a new standard for AI data centers by leveraging the combined technological expertise and know-how of both companies,” said Pankaj Sharma, executive vice president and head of Secure Power and Services at Schneider Electric.
“The procurement agreement and the expansion of our strategic cooperation are part of SK Telecom’s AI pyramid strategy of ‘self-reliance and cooperation,’” said Ryu Young-sang, CEO of SK Telecom. “Our partnership with Schneider Electric and the deepening of this strategic collaboration are expected to not only to support the construction of the Guro AIDC and the gigawatt-scale expansion of the SK AIDC in Ulsan, but also to create synergies across the SK Group affiliates, driving mutual growth at the highest-level.”
SK Telecom’s artificial intelligence (AI) business grew 13.9% year-over-year in Q2. The AI data center (AIDC) business saw its revenues surge 13.3% from the same period last year, driven by improved utilization, the telco said. The AI Transformation (AIX) business grew 15.3% to KRW 46.8 billion in revenue, bolstered by expanding B2B solutions sales.
Once in operation, the Ulsan AIDC, in conjunction with the Guro DC in Seoul, will bring SK Telecom’s total data center capacity to over 300 MW. SK Telecom expects to achieve an annual revenue of more than KRW 1 trillion from AIDC business by 2030.
SK Telecom has recently launched a sovereign GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) platform built on more than 1,000 Nvidia B200 GPUs — one of the largest clusters in South Korea.
This new GPUaaS infrastructure, branded “Haein”, offers top-tier computing performance and is a successor to the company’s previous H100-based offering introduced in late 2024.
