Data center developer Krambu is looking to build an AI data center in Bonner, Montana.

The development, which Krambu wants to build at the old Bonner Mill Industrial Park in Missoula County, would have a sustainable footprint, according to its CEO, Steve Wood.

In an interview with local news networks, MTN, Wood said the proposed data center would include heat capture in a closed-loop system, allowing it to service other ecosystems, such as aquaponics, hydroponics, or a greenhouse.

Wood said Krambu is building the “next innovation” of closed-loop systems. He added that the data center would use the same amount of water that was used to supply the old saw mill.

At a local meeting to hear community concerns, attended by Krambu, a potential usage of 500 gallons of water per megawatt was proposed.

Krambu has yet to select a client for the project, but Wood suggested that the company was fielding multiple offers, including potential interest from the US Department of Defense.

Missoula County has already seen pointed opposition against data centers, largely due to a facility operated by cryptocurrency mining company HyperBlock, which residents complained consumed energy equal to around one-third of the household energy demand in the county. Residents also complained about noise from the facility.

In response to community concern in 2019, county commissioners passed zoning regulations for data centers and cryptocurrency operations in the county, forcing operators to source all power from renewable energy sources and recycle all electronic waste.

Krampu’s Bonner Mill data center will also have to go through a “special exception review” to ensure impacts to nearby residential properties are addressed, including traffic, noise, lighting, landscaping, and screening and buffering. This is due to its proximity (500 feet) to a residential area.

Missoula County officials said the project is still in its “initial stages” and the county has yet to receive a formal application. The aforementioned meeting was organized due to “heightened public interest,” and county officials promised a further public consultation if a formal application is received for the project.