Naver Secures Renewable Energy Future with 25-Year Wind PPA and Direct Stake in South Korean Project
April 21, 2026
South Korean internet giant Naver has taken a significant step to power its expanding data center operations with renewable energy, announcing a major long-term power purchase agreement coupled with a strategic equity investment. This move highlights the growing pressure on cloud and AI service providers to secure sustainable and stable energy sources as power demands from digital infrastructure soar.
The company has signed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with domestic renewable energy firm GS Wind Power. Under the deal, Naver will procure electricity from a new wind power complex under construction in Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The wind farm is scheduled to commence commercial operations in the first half of 2028 and is projected to generate approximately 180 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually.
Naver plans to allocate this contracted capacity to its data centers in Sejong and Chuncheon. The company estimates this PPA will boost its renewable energy conversion rate to around 46% by 2029. In a parallel and strategic transaction, Naver has also acquired a 30 percent stake in the wind farm project itself. The company claims this direct investment model marks a first in South Korea for a member of the RE100 initiative, a global corporate renewable energy commitment.
"As power demand for data centers is rapidly increasing due to the expansion of AI and cloud services, securing renewable energy is an essential task," said Lim Dong-ah, Naver’s External and ESG Policy leader. "We will strengthen energy supply stability through a new model of direct investment in power generation corporations and continue our efforts to achieve the 2040 carbon negative target."
This energy strategy is directly linked to Naver's infrastructure growth. The company, which operates three domestic data centers and offers cloud services globally through its Ncloud and Neurocloud platforms, is actively expanding its footprint. Last November, it announced an expansion of its Sejong facility to 270 megawatts, with completion targeted for 2029. Internationally, Naver Cloud lists multiple operational and planned regions, including a 10MW site in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a planned 40MW capacity across Sweden.
The deal signifies a deepening trend where major tech firms are moving beyond simple PPAs to more involved partnerships with energy producers. This approach not only locks in long-term clean energy supply but also provides greater influence over project development and enhances energy security—a critical consideration for the data center industry's future expansion, particularly in the era of energy-intensive AI computing.
Source: datacenterdynamics
