Proposed Bonner data center company seeks 100 megawatt facility

The developers of a proposed artificial intelligence data center in Bonner told Missoula County the facility could use up 100 megawatts after a "full build out" of the site, according to public records filed this week.

Data center company Krambu announced in March that it seeks to use vacant space within the Bonner Mill Industrial Park for an "AI factory", which still needs to undergo a special zoning review before the plans can move forward.

While Krambu representatives initially told Bonner residents the development would start at 3 megawatts, the company also acknowledged it could grow the center over several years.

In a supplemental information packet to the county, Krambu-contracted company Dobler Engineering wrote that the space currently has capacity for 29 megawatts.

"It’s important to note that full build out of the site may take two to three years, and that depends on the ultimate amount of power available to the site (possibly up to 100 MW) and the market demand," the company wrote in the document on April 27.

100 megawatts could power somewhere between 20,000 and 100,000 homes, depending on the power source, and would generally be classified as an average-sized data center, according to IBM. 

The Missoulian first reported on Krambu's initial application through a public records request, which showed the company does not plan to regularly staff the site once construction is completed.

Krambu CEO Steve Wood did not return a call from the Missoulian on Friday seeking comment.

Missoula County has requested additional information from Krambu before a public review process can begin on the proposal. On Wednesday, county planner Jennie Dixon told the company that more work needs to be done on the possible noise, visual, water, and heat criteria.

"With materials submitted thus far, I do not have enough information to make a favorable recommendation to the Land Use Board on the special exception," Dixon wrote to Krambu on April 29. "My goal is to assist you in preparing an application that will address all potential concerns that might be raised in review of the special exception."

The county said on its website that the earliest a special exception review hearing could be held before the Missoula County Consolidated Land Use Board would be on July 1.

The land use board would address whether the proposal would create a negative impact on nearby residents. The proposal does not need approval from the Board of Missoula County Commissioners to proceed.

County regulations also require Krambu secure a new source of renewable energy to supply the project and recycle electronic waste. Those regulations came in response to a cryptocurrency mining operation at the site several years ago.

In its most recent filings with the county, Dobler Engineering said Krambu's water use would involve a closed loop system that limits the amount of water it uses to about 2,000 gallons per year.

"The evaporative coolers are constructed like a car radiator and drip water over the cooling fluid lines. The water is collected in a reservoir at the bottom and recirculated," the document said.

The system would require evaporative cooling towers to be built on the exterior of the Bonner mill building. Each tower would cool the equivalent of 4 to 5 megawatts, according to the application.

Currently, Dobler Engineering said 10 towers would be required for the current energy capacity of the facility. The cooling structures would not be taller than the existing building.

The data center would be powered 24 hours a day and have a safeguard system to keep the operation active in the event of maintenance issues, but the company does not plan to have a backup power generator on site, according to the application.

Krambu proposes a row of street trees to minimize the impact of new construction on nearby residences. Wood also told Bonner residents he hopes to add additional uses to the site, like a hydroponics garden.

A petition on change.org urging the county to reject the permits for the data center had secured roughly 2,400 signatures as of Friday afternoon.

Data centers have drawn more public attention in the last two years as applications for them increase across the country, including in talking points for candidates running for public office in Montana.

More information can also be found at MissoulaCountyVoice.com.