North Dakota: Bitzero announces intention to purchase old North Dakota missile site for data center

After announcing plans to build 200 megawatts of data centers in North Dakota over the next two to three years back in June, Bitzero has announced plans to redevelop a northeastern North Dakota anti-ballistic missile site into a data center. The $6 billion Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex was acquired for a reported $250,000, however, the company is set to funnel up to ​​$500 million into the abandoned site. Gov. Doug Burgum, called it an “important part of history” and said that, through this transformation, it will become a beacon for “North Dakota innovation to the rest of the world.”

So far, minimal details have been released relating to the development, but it has been ascertained that the waste heat captured from the facility’s servers will be recycled and used to heat an on-site greenhouse.

Speaking about this new development, Gov. Burgum commented: “This is fantastic news for Cavalier County and our entire state, putting this iconic pyramid on the prairie to innovative use and further solidifying North Dakota’s status as a global hub for data center development. We are deeply grateful for Bitzero’s significant investment in our state and for the tireless efforts of the North Dakota Department of Commerce and Cavalier County Job Development Authority to secure a viable tenant and seize the potential of this historic structure. This important piece of history will be restored and become a beacon for North Dakota innovation to the rest of the world.”

Meanwhile, Bitzero CEO Akbar Shamji, reflecting on both the history and the potential of the site, said: “The history of this site and the integrity of the community and leadership we have met here in Cavalier County are a marvel. The Pyramid when correctly understood is a monument to peace. The extraordinary capacity of the site in its first incarnation was a direct catalyst to the peace treaties of 1975 and the end of the Cold War. In its new incarnation the site will reappear again as a beacon for change in the now biggest challenge we face as society, climate change.”

Adding: “The use of existing unutilized resources and ZCD energy at this site will guide the global data center industry and its stakeholders. Be they developers, users or shareholders, The Pyramid Data Centre will demonstrate for all concerned the increased functionality, lower cost of capital and higher profitability from harnessing natural energy and working in tandem with local communities and leading minds when approaching data services.”