How a US$25bn Texas Data Centre Will Power AI With 1.4GW

Vantage Data Centers, in collaboration with DigitalBridge Group, has unveiled an ambitious plan to build a 1.4GW data centre mega-campus named Frontier in Shackelford County, Texas.

This development is aimed at addressing the immense infrastructure challenges posed by emerging AI technologies. With over US$25bn in investment, Vantage is setting a new benchmark for data centre capabilities.

The facility will occupy 1,200 acres and deliver its massive compute power through 10 data centres totaling 3.7 million square feet – highlighting Texas as a pivotal area for AI suppliers in need of vast computing power.

The construction of this massive campus has already begun, with the first building expected to be completed in the latter half of 2026.

The role of high-density AI-centric design

The design of the Frontier campus will enable it to handle ultra high-density racks exceeding 250kW.

This is particularly crucial for the high-demand environments fostered by AI, where standard data centre designs fall short. To cope with the substantial thermal loads produced by next-generation GPUs, liquid cooling systems will be implemented across the facility.

“Texas has become a critical and strategic market for AI providers,” says Dana Adams, President of North America at Vantage Data Centers.

“In particular, the launch of our Frontier campus with 1.4GW of GPU compute capacity marks a watershed moment for Vantage as we deliver on our promise to meet the unprecedented requirements of our customers.”

This focus on high-density, AI-optimised infrastructure signifies a shift in industry standards, moving away from traditional cooling systems unable to support the modern GPUs critical for AI operations.

Behind the commitment to sustainability

Despite its immense size, the Frontier campus will integrate resource efficiency into its core design. A closed-loop chiller system is set to be used, minimising the need for water in cooling processes and potentially conserving billions of gallons annually.

This approach is a response to the escalating environmental concerns surrounding resource consumption by large-scale data centres.

Pursuing LEED certification for the campus aligns with Vantage’s “sustainable by design” ethos, addressing the sustainability imperative in an era where data centres’ ecological footprints are under scrutiny.

Economic growth and educational opportunities

The campus development is anticipated to generate over 5,000 jobs during construction and continued operations.

“Everything is bigger in Texas and that includes innovation and technology,” explains governor of Texas Greg Abbott.

“Vantage Data Centers’ US$25bn investment to build a new data centre campus will help create thousands of good-paying jobs for Texans and bring revenue to the local and state economies.”

Local officials have welcomed the investment, with Shackelford County Judge John Viertel noting the historical significance of the “Frontier” designation.

“Frontier is an apt name for the Vantage Data Centers’ campus and a palpable recognition of the history and mindset still present in our region and particularly Shackelford County,” Judge Viertel says.

In addition to job creation, Vantage plans to collaborate with local educational institutions by providing scholarships for students in Shackelford County, thereby fostering a future generation of technology professionals.

DigitalBridge Group, a stalwart in digital infrastructure investment, is a primary financial supporter of this project.

“Frontier represents an important milestone for Vantage Data Centers and for the broader digital infrastructure ecosystem,” says Jon Mauck, senior managing director and head of data centres at DigitalBridge.

Marc Ganzi, CEO of DigitalBridge, further elaborates, “At DigitalBridge, we see power and scale as the defining challenges of the AI era. Vantage’s Frontier campus is a direct response to those needs and reflects the playbook we’ve built over the last three decades of investing in data centres and digital infrastructure.”

The establishment of the Frontier campus is a critical step in addressing the soaring demand for data infrastructure needed to support AI development and deployment. It stands among the world’s largest single-site data centre projects, leveraging Texas’s advantageous regulatory and energy markets.