Samsung and Mousterian advance floating datacenter project in Texas
Waterborne datacenters offer faster deployment and environmental benefits compared to traditional solutions.
1Project foundations laid
Samsung Heavy Industries and Mousterian Corporation signed an engineering contract for a floating datacenter project in Texas. Dallas-based Mousterian specializes in water-adjacent datacenter infrastructure. The first project will deliver 50 MW of critical IT capacity per unit. Both companies will collaborate on basic design, detailed engineering, and production design phases.
2Maritime technology adapted for datacenters
Samsung Heavy Industries is applying its shipbuilding and offshore engineering expertise to datacenters. The company entered the floating server farm market earlier this year. Last month, it partnered with Supermicro to test AI server systems in river and offshore environments. The first facility is planned to become operational by 2028.
3Environmental advantages highlighted
Mousterian's designs use non-evaporative cooling that consumes no drinking water and discharges nothing into waterways. Eliminating air-cooled chillers and fans minimizes noise pollution. Floating data halls moored near existing power plants can be brought online faster than conventional facilities, offering hyperscale and AI capacity.
4Pilot facility planned for Houston
The pilot site will be adjacent to an existing combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in Houston. Mousterian CEO Min Suh emphasized the time and scale advantages of shipyard construction. Samsung CEO Sung-an Choi noted that five decades of maritime experience would benefit the project. The partners aim to deliver floating datacenters with maritime-grade quality.
5Texas pauses datacenter connections
Texas Governor Greg Abbott suspended approvals for datacenter projects seeking ERCOT grid connections. New projects won't be permitted until state regulators review connection requests. ERCOT is considering over 474 GW of new connection requests—more than five times the state's peak demand. Datacenters account for 90% of these requests.
6New connection requirements introduced
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and ERCOT are requesting information about projects' power sources, grid dependence, and expected water usage. Projects failing to meet these requirements will be denied connections. These regulations could impact Samsung and Mousterian's floating datacenter initiative in Texas.
7A new model for the industry
Floating datacenters avoid competition for scarce development land and can be relocated when needed. Using surrounding water for cooling improves energy efficiency. Factory-built facilities enable faster deployment than traditional methods. This model proves particularly suitable for AI-class facilities demanding rapid scalability.
8Sustainable solution for global data demand
The project presents an innovative, sustainable approach to growing datacenter needs. Shipbuilding engineering expertise integrates with datacenter infrastructure. Optimized energy and water usage reduces environmental impact. Despite regulatory challenges in Texas, this model is expected to gain traction globally as demand for AI capacity grows.