Texas Critical Data Centers (TCDC), a joint venture (JV) between natural gas firm New Era Helium and AI data center developer Sharon AI, has expanded the site of its planned campus in Texas' Permian Basin.
The JV, which was established in late 2024, is developing a 250MW AI and high-performance computing data center in Ector County, West Texas, that is powered behind-the-meter from a natural gas plant.
According to the partners, they have expanded the plot of land where the data center is planned from 200 acres to 235 acres. TCDC expects to close the acquisition from Grow Odessa in the next 90 days. Reports of the land acquisition surfaced in February, following the signing of a letter of intent between the companies.
In addition to the land acquisition, TCDC is also advancing in other areas of its development process. This includes lit fiber access, finalization of various gas supply agreements, gas transmission line access, specific power plant designs utilizing reciprocating natural gas engines combined with CO2 carbon capture, along with several additional infrastructure and operational items.
The project will be developed in phases, with the first 100MW segment expected to come online by December 2026. The remaining 150MW is slated for completion six months after the first phase is completed.
“With the first phase of the data center development project now underway and a clear path to activation in 2026, we are taking significant steps toward building an energy-integrated platform that supports the future of AI, HPC, and semiconductor innovation. The launch of a dedicated project website reflects this next phase of execution and provides an information hub about this exciting project,” said E. Will Gray, CEO of New Era.
The facility’s power structure will be anchored by reciprocating natural gas engines, with TCDC reporting that it has already held 'extensive conversations' with various engine providers with an intent to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a provider in the near future.
A new website provides further information on the project and its design strategy.
The JV was first announced in November and was finalized last month. The initial agreement selected Pecos Slope Field in New Mexico, owned and operated by New Era Helium, as the site for the proposed data center.
However, following an expansion of the planned capacity of the data center from 90MW to 250MW, the company instead identified multiple other potential sites, ultimately deciding on Ector County.
Founded last year, Sharon AI is a high-performance computing company focused on AI cloud GPU compute infrastructure. The company has Nvidia L40S and H100s, and AMD MI3000X GPUs at Equinix and NextDC data centers, as well as custom-built Modular Data Centers (MDCs).
New Era Helium is an exploration and production company that sources helium produced in association with the production of natural gas reserves in the US. New Era went public last year after a merger with Roth Capital's Roth CH Acquisition V special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).