VIRIDIEN RELEASES MORE DETAILS ABOUT COMPUTING CENTER PROJECT IN BRENHAM
The company looking to bring a technology project to Brenham’s Southwest Industrial Park has shared further details about its plans.
Viridien now has a webpage with specifics on the scope of its high-performance computing center to be built at 2602 Longwood Drive. The page also addresses concerns about sustainability and environmental and community impact.
Viridien said the specialized center will support scientific and industrial computing, mainly for energy, engineering and research applications. It said the facility will operate on a smaller scale than the data centers run by large public cloud providers.
The company said it plans to start construction early this year on a 40,300-square-foot facility, with expected completion by the end of 2027 and the potential to expand on the existing property in the future. The project would initially create approximately 26 permanent technical roles and generate additional construction jobs.
The project will receive power through a dedicated connection to Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, not City of Brenham services. Viridien is covering the cost of any needed substation or transmission upgrades. The electric load for the facility would be 5 megawatts, with the IT load – the amount of energy dedicated to servers and network equipment – coming out to 3 megawatts. Should the project expand, the facility’s maximum load would be 21 megawatts, including an IT load of 15 megawatts. The company indicated that large cloud data centers consume 500 to over 1,000 megawatts.
In the event of electrical emergencies, Viridien said its equipment will be able to reduce load and is designed to ramp down activity in the event of power loss or shedding. The generator on the site provides emergency power only to the equipment needed to provide a safe environment for employees during power outages.
For water use, Viridien said the facility’s immersive cooling system is closed-loop air-based, consuming no water during operations. According to Viridien, the system will require approximately 85,000 gallons initially to fill the closed loop, but will not require additional water throughout the life of the project. The water for the cooling system will be delivered from an external supplier, not using city water or requiring the drilling of wells.
The company said projected noise levels will stay well within city ordinance limits of 85 decibels, peaking at approximately 65 decibels at the industrial property line and reducing further beyond the industrial park boundary. It plans to install acoustic barriers and landscaping buffers. Additionally, it said all outside lighting will be downward-facing, shielded, and will comply with dark-sky guidelines to minimize light spill.
The Brenham City Council voted in January to reject the creation of a reinvestment zone for commercial tax phase-in for the project. While Viridien will not receive a local tax break, the company said it has applied for Texas-provided tax incentives.
Further details can be seen at https://viridiengroup.com.