Nscale Ward County Texas: 1.2GW Hyperscale AI Data Center & GPU Factory
Status: Under Development / Phased Operational Rollout | Location: Ward County, West Texas, USA
Project Overview
The Nscale Ward County Data Center is a large-scale hyperscale AI factory campus located in West Texas, developed in partnership with site owner Ionic Digital to support the next generation of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing workloads. The initial phase is designed to deliver approximately 240 MW of AI-optimized infrastructure capable of hosting around 104,000 NVIDIA GB300 GPUs, providing the compute capacity required for large-scale AI model training, fine-tuning, and real-time large language model (LLM) inference. The campus is engineered to meet the demands of hyperscale cloud providers and enterprise AI deployments, including a major anchor capacity agreement with Microsoft. To efficiently manage the thermal requirements of high-density GPU clusters, the facility incorporates advanced cooling technologies such as closed-loop direct liquid cooling (DLC) and rear-door heat exchanger (RDHx) systems, enabling reliable performance while improving energy efficiency. The development has been designed with long-term scalability in mind, with plans to expand the campus to approximately 1.2 GW of total capacity. In addition, Nscale has secured an option for a further 700 MW Phase 2 expansion, positioning the site as one of the largest planned AI infrastructure campuses in North America. With its advanced cooling architecture, significant power availability, and AI-focused design, the Ward County campus is expected to play a key role in supporting future hyperscale AI computing demand.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | Nscale Ward County Texas: 1.2GW Hyperscale AI Data Center & GPU Factory |
| Location | Ward County, West Texas, USA |
| Status | Under Development / Phased Operational Rollout |
| Commissioning | Phase 1 (240MW): Q3 2026 / Phase 2 Expansion: Late 2027+ |
| Total IT Load | 240 MW (Initial Phase) / 1.2 GW (Full Buildout Target) |
| Total Capacity | ~1,200 MW (1.2 Gigawatts) Total Power Capacity |
| Tier Level | Tier III / Tier IV Equivalent (Ultra-High-Density AI Specification) |
| Project Type | Greenfield Hyperscale AI Compute Factory & Supercluster Campus |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
|---|
| City Name | Texas |
| Population | ~30.5 million (2025 est.) |
| Urban Agglomeration | ~27–28 million (major metro clusters combined) |
| City GDP | ~$2.4 trillion (2024 est., comparable to G7 economies) |
| Per Capita Income | ~$78,000 |
| City Tier | Tier 1 (Global Economic Powerhouse) |
| Key Strengths | Energy (oil, gas, renewables), Data Centers & AI Infrastructure, Technology (Austin hub), Logistics & Trade (US–Mexico corridor), Manufacturing, Business-friendly policies, Large land & power availability |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Developer / Operator | Nscale |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | Ionic Digital (Site Leasing & Infrastructure Partner), Microsoft (Anchor Customer), NVIDIA (Technology Partner) |
| Construction Contractor | Regional Industrial EPC & Modular AI Data Center Builders |
| MEP Engineering | Advanced High-Density Liquid Cooling & Power System Engineering Specialists |
| Network Connectivity | Ultra-low-latency carrier-neutral fiber paths linking directly to major US internet exchanges, fiber backbones, and cloud infrastructure corridors. |
| Power Infrastructure | Direct utility interconnects leveraging ERCOT grid infrastructure, backed by high-capacity substation transformers, N+1/2N static UPS systems, and industrial backup generators. |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Power Capacity | 240 MW Initial Phase / 1.2 GW Total Planned Campus Utility Load |
| UPS Redundancy | N+1 / 2N High-Efficiency Static UPS with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) |
| Cooling System | Closed-loop Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling (DLC), Rear-Door Heat Exchangers (RDHx), and high-efficiency water-chilled loop systems. |
| Connectivity | Redundant high-speed fiber routes supporting InfiniBand, RDMA, and high-throughput inter-rack interconnects. |
| PUE Target | ~1.10 – 1.15 (Achieved through direct liquid cooling optimization) |
| Energy Mix | High penetration of local West Texas solar, wind power, and grid-scale clean energy contracts. |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Announcement | Q4 2025 |
| Construction Start | Late 2025 / Early 2026 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | Q3 2026 (~240MW / 104,000 NVIDIA GB300 GPUs) |
| Full Buildout | 2028–2029 (Targeting 1.2GW Total Operational Footprint) |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Total Investment | Estimated $3,500,000,000 USD to $5,000,000,000+ USD across full 1.2GW multi-phase deployment |
| Funding | Nscale corporate capital, institutional infrastructure investment, and anchor hyperscale compute service contracts. |