LS Electric launches world's first fully DC-powered factory

LS Electric has begun full operations at what it calls the world's first manufacturing facility powered entirely by direct current (DC) distribution.

The company held an inauguration ceremony for the DC Factory at its Cheonan plant on Wednesday. Chief Executive Chae Dae-seok, Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy Lee Ho-hyeon, and Korea Electric Power Corp. President Kim Dong-cheol were among the officials who attended.

The DC Factory is the world's first manufacturing facility to run entirely on DC distribution, deploying LS Electric's own DC-dedicated core devices — including a solid-state transformer (SST), a solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) and an energy storage system (ESS). By eliminating the power losses that occur when converting alternating current (AC) to DC, the facility maximizes energy efficiency. LS Electric said the factory has demonstrated real-world power savings by lifting overall energy efficiency by more than 10 percent.

The factory mass-produces power conversion systems (PCS) for ESS — a key component of the DC era — running entirely on DC power, realizing what the company describes as a complete DC manufacturing ecosystem. The primary product is the G2, a PCS for ESS co-developed with LG Energy Solution. The G2 abandons conventional air cooling in favor of liquid cooling technology, maximizing heat control and durability.

DC distribution technology is emerging as a central theme in the power industry, driven by the global surge in data center electricity demand. LS Electric plans to use operational data gathered at the DC Factory to offer optimized solutions for the ultra-high-power, high-efficiency power infrastructure market.

"The Cheonan DC Factory is a historic milestone marking the shift from the AC-centered power paradigm that has prevailed for more than a century to direct current, and a crystallization of manufacturing innovation," CEO Chae said. "Building on our differentiated DC-based core device capabilities and advanced manufacturing experience, we will leap forward to become the No. 1 company leading the global power market in the AI era, which demands ultra-high power."

Also on Wednesday, the K-DC Alliance held its general assembly at the Cheonan plant alongside the inauguration ceremony. At the meeting, LS Electric, Korea Electric Power Corp., Korea Institute of Energy Technology, LS Cable & System, Hyosung Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Electric and LG Electronics signed a memorandum of understanding on establishing a global DC technology research complex and pursuing joint technical research, pledging to cooperate in strengthening DC technology competitiveness and building an industry ecosystem.