Crusoe Expands AI Data Center Campus in Abilene to 1.2 Gigawatts

Construction has begun at the Lancium Clean Campus in Abilene, Texas on an additional six data center.

Crusoe has announced the commencement of construction on the next phase of its Artificial Intelligence (AI) data center at the Lancium Clean Campus in Abilene, Texas. This second phase, expected to be completed in mid-2026, will add six new buildings, bringing the total to eight buildings, approximately 4 million square feet, with a total power capacity of 1.2 gigawatts (GW). With this expansion, Crusoe's data center footprint will surpass 1.6 GW in operations and construction, and an additional pipeline exceeding 10 GW is in development.

The initial phase of construction began in June 2024, involving two buildings measuring 980,000 square feet and representing over 200 megawatts of capacity. This initial phase is slated to be energized in the first half of 2025 and will support the ambitious AI workloads through innovative data center design. As construction progresses, the workforce at the site has swelled to around 2,000 daily, which is anticipated to increase to nearly 5,000 due to the expansion.

The Development Corporation of Abilene (DCOA) estimates the initial project's economic impact will be about $1 billion over 20 years, with the expansion expected to significantly enhance that figure.

Chase Lochmiller, Co-founder & CEO of Crusoe, stated, “Our expansion in Abilene marks a significant milestone for the industry. The sheer scale of compute power concentrated here is remarkable, defining an entirely new category for digital infrastructure, the AI factory.”

Shar Narasimhan of NVIDIA added, “Integrating our accelerated computing platform into Crusoe’s AI data center will drive the next giant leap in AI, while keeping sustainability in mind.” Michael McNamara, Co-founder and CEO of Lancium, highlighted the importance of innovations that ensure grid reliability to support such large-scale operations.

Lancium's plan includes behind-the-meter battery storage and solar resources, which are intended to improve grid reliability. The facility will utilize direct-to-chip liquid cooling through a zero-water evaporation cooling system.

Local officials, including Abilene Mayor Weldon Hurt and Taylor County Judge Phil Crowley, emphasized the project’s potential to bolster community services and infrastructure while providing sustainable energy solutions.

Overall, this expansion at the Lancium Clean Campus is positioned to reinforce Crusoe and Lancium's commitment to sustainability and community engagement.