Vietnam National Data Center No. 1 - one of the largest and most modern data centers in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Duong Van Thinh

Chairman, Vietnam AI & Data Center Club

Vice President, AI Technology at Veron Group

On 18 Aug 2025, The Ministry of Public Security has inaugurated the National Data Center No. 1 with a total value of more than VND 16,800 billion - one of the largest and most modern data centers in Southeast Asia.

The data center is built on an area of more than 20 hectares in the Lang - Hoa Lac area, with a scale of 1,300 rack cabinets (reflecting the scale of the infrastructure), and is one of the largest centers in Southeast Asia. This is also the first national data center to be granted the highest level of international certification, meeting the ability to withstand disasters and high security and safety.

FPT, a joint venture with Aurecon and TwoG, is the design consultant, contributing to the National Data Center achieving Uptime Level IV certification right in the design phase. This is the most difficult certification according to the standards of a data center. This confirms the target capacity, the precise system design, and meets a series of complex technical criteria in the world.

On this occasion, we will explore an inevitable trend that will be applied in the data center: Consolidation of Power and Cooling Systems, a Strategic Approach to Data Center Infrastructure

Trend of integrating power and cooling systems in new generation data centers

Power and thermal systems are converging into integrated infrastructures built to handle the scale, speed, and complexity of AI deployments in high-density data centers.

The increasing complexity of high-density deployments is exposing the limitations of fragmented infrastructures. According to IDC, global spending on AI hardware is expected to reach $258 billion by 2028. Data center energy efficiency is also being focused on, with energy consumption expected to more than double that same year. These changes are driving the need for infrastructure models that can support high-density, high-velocity deployments at scale.

To address this complexity, the relationship between thermal and electrical infrastructure is changing. Consolidating these systems reduces on-site configuration effort, reduces deployment risk, and supports consistent operations across sites. With a single software platform, teams can manage thermal and electrical systems the same way at every site.

In high-density, fast-paced environments, managing separate thermal and electrical systems adds complexity that can slow progress before a facility is operational. During construction, siloed systems often require separate vendors, engineering teams, and integration timelines. Each platform comes with its own logic, interfaces, and operational requirements. This results in longer deployment cycles, more points of coordination, and a higher likelihood of subsystem misalignment. These factors create inconsistencies in a process that increasingly demands speed and repeatability.

Integrated electrical and thermal infrastructure reduces the complexity of site-specific integration, vendor dependencies, and manual configuration. Predefined logic built into the software allows teams to standardize how they manage equipment health, energy usage, and environmental conditions across sites. Open protocols simplify connectivity with multiple equipment vendors. When software and hardware are integrated directly at the plant, faster deployment through plug-and-play systems streamlines site work. This reduces commissioning time and speeds site activation.

Towards Adaptive Infrastructure

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into business operations, data centers must move from reactive environments to dynamic systems that can adapt to changing conditions with greater speed and precision. The industry is beginning to realize that beyond scaling, adaptability requires reducing complexity so systems can scale smarter and respond faster.

Simplifying Power and Thermal Management at Every Level

Power and cooling are no longer separate entities. They are now part of a broader shift to integrated infrastructure built for speed, scalability, and control.

Dr. Duong Van Thinh said that the inauguration of the National Data Center No. 1 is not only an infrastructure milestone, but also opens up opportunities for Vietnam to apply advanced management models such as consolidating power sources and cooling systems. He emphasized that this integration will help optimize performance, reduce operating costs and increase adaptability to the explosive demand for AI.