Released December 06, 2024 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Richland Parish, Louisiana, a largely agricultural area with an employment rate below 50% according to U.S. census data, will be home to what will possibly be Meta Platforms Incorporated's (NASDAQ:META) (Menlo Park, California) largest data center. Meta made the announcement earlier this week. Power company Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR) (New Orleans, Louisiana) will help power the facility, which is expected to use large amounts of energy as the data center will be equipped with the most recent artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, which require more energy to operate.
The facility will be approximately 4 million square feet and is expected to create 500 or more direct new jobs and require 5,000 construction workers at its peak. According to a press release from one of the companies involved, the campus will be built by Turner Construction Company (New York, New York), DPR Construction (Redwood City, California) and M.A. Mortenson Company (Minneapolis, Minnesota). To support both the construction and eventual operation of the data center, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System has committed $250,000 to Delta Community College, located about 30 miles from the data center site, to scale up its construction trades programs to meet the initial construction needs and partner with peer institutions experienced in developing and delivering curricula for data center operations.
Construction is expected to begin by the end of this year and be completed by 2030. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
While Meta is touting its pledge to restore more water in Louisiana than it uses, the company is being more circumspect about its power needs. Meta has pledged to match its power use with 100% clean and renewable energy and will work with Entergy to bring at least 1,500 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy to the grid. However, this is a long-term goal. In the meantime, Entergy is readying natural gas-fired power plants to help provide additional power.
Near the data center campus, which will be built on the 2,250-acre Franklin Farm megasite, Entergy is planning its Franklin Farm combined-cycle power station. The facility will use Mitsubishi steam turbines that will be capable of burning a mixture of 70% natural gas and 30% hydrogen and will be capable of running on 100% hydrogen with certain upgrades. However, operating a 1,500-MW power plant entirely from hydrogen remains a goal for the future, with no basis in current on-the-ground realities. The plant is expected to be ready in 2029. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Power Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
According to the Associated Press, Entergy is fast-tracking the Franklin Farm plant and two other natural gas-fired power projects to help meet the increased demand from the Meta facility as well as other potential operations as Louisiana attempts to open its tech sector. Industrial Info is tracking two other Entergy natural gas-fired generating projects in the state: a 754-MW combined-cycle addition at the J. Wayne Leonard Power Station in St. Charles Parish, expected to be ready by 2029, and a 112-MW floating power station using six 18.6-MW reciprocating internal combustion turbines in Lafourche Parish, expected to be completed in 2028. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
The Louisiana Public Service Commission is weighing Entergy's proposals as some environmental groups have opposed locking the state into more fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure. Louisiana is aiming to achieve net-zero emissions across its economy by 2050, with an interim reduction target of 50% by 2030, when Meta's data center is expected to be completed. Operating the new plants will be recipients of some of the 1,000 indirect jobs expected to be created by the new Meta facility.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
The facility will be approximately 4 million square feet and is expected to create 500 or more direct new jobs and require 5,000 construction workers at its peak. According to a press release from one of the companies involved, the campus will be built by Turner Construction Company (New York, New York), DPR Construction (Redwood City, California) and M.A. Mortenson Company (Minneapolis, Minnesota). To support both the construction and eventual operation of the data center, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System has committed $250,000 to Delta Community College, located about 30 miles from the data center site, to scale up its construction trades programs to meet the initial construction needs and partner with peer institutions experienced in developing and delivering curricula for data center operations.
Construction is expected to begin by the end of this year and be completed by 2030. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
While Meta is touting its pledge to restore more water in Louisiana than it uses, the company is being more circumspect about its power needs. Meta has pledged to match its power use with 100% clean and renewable energy and will work with Entergy to bring at least 1,500 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy to the grid. However, this is a long-term goal. In the meantime, Entergy is readying natural gas-fired power plants to help provide additional power.
Near the data center campus, which will be built on the 2,250-acre Franklin Farm megasite, Entergy is planning its Franklin Farm combined-cycle power station. The facility will use Mitsubishi steam turbines that will be capable of burning a mixture of 70% natural gas and 30% hydrogen and will be capable of running on 100% hydrogen with certain upgrades. However, operating a 1,500-MW power plant entirely from hydrogen remains a goal for the future, with no basis in current on-the-ground realities. The plant is expected to be ready in 2029. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Power Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
According to the Associated Press, Entergy is fast-tracking the Franklin Farm plant and two other natural gas-fired power projects to help meet the increased demand from the Meta facility as well as other potential operations as Louisiana attempts to open its tech sector. Industrial Info is tracking two other Entergy natural gas-fired generating projects in the state: a 754-MW combined-cycle addition at the J. Wayne Leonard Power Station in St. Charles Parish, expected to be ready by 2029, and a 112-MW floating power station using six 18.6-MW reciprocating internal combustion turbines in Lafourche Parish, expected to be completed in 2028. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
The Louisiana Public Service Commission is weighing Entergy's proposals as some environmental groups have opposed locking the state into more fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure. Louisiana is aiming to achieve net-zero emissions across its economy by 2050, with an interim reduction target of 50% by 2030, when Meta's data center is expected to be completed. Operating the new plants will be recipients of some of the 1,000 indirect jobs expected to be created by the new Meta facility.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
