South Korea’s power demand set to soar on AI boom

South Korea's power demand is set to surge by 25 to 30 gigawatts due to AI-driven needs, according to Energy Minister Kim Sung-whan, as chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix expand production and new AI data centers are built. The minister also cited increased demand from electric vehicles and electric heating as additional pressures.

SEOUL – South Korea’s demand for power in the coming years is set to surge on plans by chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to expand production and the building of new artificial intelligence data centers, according to the country’s energy minister. Those AI-driven power needs alone will lift South Korea’s demand for power by 25 to 30 gigawatts, the Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Sung-whan said in an interview this month. On top of that, the country will also need to contend with increased power demand due to the shift to electric vehicles from gasoline-engine cars and to heating via electricity rather than gas, he added.