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Prep work for data center construction rolling along
By Faith Huffman,
2025-10-04Crews hd begun clearing trees Tuesday and will be grading the earth on the site that is planned as the foundation for the Matrix Data Center project, within the old Thermo mine property. Staff photo by Faith Huffman
Crews hd begun clearing trees Tuesday and will be grading the earth on the site that is planned as the foundation for the Matrix Data Center project, within the old Thermo mine property. Staff photo by Faith Huffman
MSB Global hosted a meeting in Sulphur Springs for potential investors, then hosted interested representatives from construction trades and local media for a tour of the site which will serve as the foundation for the first of three phases of data centers planned for construction on 1,677-acres of the nearly 5,000-acre city-owned former Thermo mine property over the next three to five years — an estimate $18 billion project.
Crews were on hand to discuss the plan and needs for the $18 billion Matrix Data Center project, while a crew with heavy equipment worked nearby clearing the field nearest the old building on the property on the right side of the bridge. The data centers will span from the power lines southeastward toward State Highway 11 east.
Currently, trees are being cleared. Next, before any building begins, soil testing to make sure the land is stable for building. Mikey Lucas, MSB Global chief operating officer, said they want to be sure the land will support a strong foundation, given the prior use of the property for mining.
The plan is to put up eight 278,000 square foot buildings in the first phase of the project, with an additional building going up in about 30 days.
According to information on the company’s website, the “proprietary 3D concrete printing centers” will aid in the safe speed of construction, and will have embedded utilities, hurricane-resistant walls and precision-engineered green concrete that meets or exceeds all structural standards.
The structures will become AI data centers for hyperscalers. They already have four and are in negotiations for a few potential other hyperscalers, according to company officials.
The three phases are expected to take about 3 years, with a total of 30 buildings on the property, with its own power source, which within 5 years is expected to connect to the power grid to send any unused energy into the grid.
While solar was considered, it is not to be the primary source of power. One, the size of the panels that would be required for a facility of that size with that big of a power need would be too big, take up too much of the space. Due to changes in weather and potential inclement weather, such as hail storms, Lucas noted, solar is not the primary focus to power the AI data centers to be built.
The goal is create the centers while striving to take care of the environment, of God’s planet, Lucas said. Non combustable fuel cells will be used.
“Our power solution is based on Bloom solid oxide fuel cells, which are recognized as the cleanest and safest option for powering large-scale AI data centers,” Lucas said. “Bloom’s systems are designed to transition seamlessly from natural gas to hydrogen and integrate with carbon capture, making them uniquely positioned to take us from today’s needs to a net-zero energy future.' According to data provided by MSB Global, “Bloom fuel cells operate at about 60% efficiency, significantly higher than turbines, while reducing CO₂ [Carbon dioxide] emissions by 25–30%. They generate about 740 pounds of CO₂ per MWh compared to about 1,100 pounds for turbines, and virtually eliminate NOx [nitrous oxides], SOx [sulfur oxides], VOCs [volatile organic compounds], and particulates.”
Using a closed loop system to cool the data systems instead of a chiller cooling system, the facility will use considerably less water. Overall, MSB Global reports that about 1 gallon of water per MWh will be used verses hundreds of gallons if gas turbines were used. That also will make the systems quieter, about 25-30% less noise pollution, reducing it from 85-90 dBA using reciprocating engines or simple cycle gas turbines to less than 65 dBA for the Bloom Energy source, according to the information from MSB Global.
MSB Global is working with three companies that will be providing fiber optics for the AI data centers and will pay for the infrastructure to the pipeline to get the natural gas to complex to power it. Oncor is on board to work with MGB Global and FEC has expressed interest in helping build the plants to help the center and grid.
People in the area can ultimately benefit from the fiber and gas lines.
As for staffing, there will be a need or an estimated 3050 per building, plus maintenance and lawn care. Many will require special trades. The company is also working with local college and university systems to host special programs to train students to run and operate data centers, to help staff it.
As many local contractors will be used as possible for the construction of the Matrix Data Center projects. Those not available in specialized trades would come from elsewhere. Ganna Halvorsen, MSB Global vice president of development and legal counsel, estimated that up to 7,000 be employed during in constructiona nd IT temporary and permanent jobs, with at least 2,000 contractors and tradesmen living in or driving in from within 30-45 minutes of Sulphur Springs during construction phases.
The facility will be secure with smart fencing with a 24/7 security ops center, seven-layer physical and cybersecurity defense. On site security officers will come from a local security company, staffed by local law enforcement officers working part-time while off-duty from their agency, according to MSB Global officials.
During another related part of development, Zion Village, up to 800 would be needed. This too would provide additional housing.
Contractors will bring trailers and some from further out of town will stay at local RV parks, contracting with local rental places, paying per diem for accommodations.
Halvorsen said currently for the project MSB has four general and 48 subcontractors. A few more are needed, thus, contractors were invited Tuesday to tour the site to learn more about the project. For a project overview of construction jobs, visit https:// msbglobalservices.com/ construction-jobs/.
Phase 1 on the Matrix project, 800MW available in eight building on 367 acres is expected to be complete in November 2026; Phase 2, 1,200 MW on 760 acres by April 2027 and Phase 3, 1,000 MV on 520 acres in 2028.
Planned on-site amenities are to include an executive conference center, private tenant offices, onsite dining hall, and indoor and outdoor recreational facilities, according to the Matrix Data Center Campus Capacity Report which can be viewed and downloaded online at https:// msbglobalservices.com/ sulphur-springs/.
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