Developer of Utah data center announces ‘revolutionary’ tech to turn natural gas into water
Creekstone Energy, developing a massive data center near Delta, Utah, announced a patented technology called GIGAWATER that converts natural gas exhaust into water. This initiative, part of its Project Oasis, aims to make the campus water-positive in the arid West. The company is collaborating with the University of Utah for independent verification of this technology, which could generate 4,000 acre-feet of water annually.
Creekstone Energy, the developer behind a major data center campus near Delta in Millard County, Utah, has unveiled a new, patent-pending technology dubbed GIGAWATER. This innovative system is designed to capture water vapor from the exhaust of the company's natural-gas-powered electricity generation, converting it into usable water, a centerpiece of its "Project Oasis" initiative at the Delta Gigasite campus.
Ray Conley, Creekstone's founder and CEO, emphasized the company's commitment to balancing economic growth with responsible water stewardship in an arid region. He stated that the technology, which captures water created during natural gas combustion, has prompted a research agreement with the University of Utah’s Energy & Geoscience Institute for independent verification. While large-scale water generation is years away, Conley highlighted the announcement to demonstrate the industry's push for environmental innovation, contrasting it with the controversy surrounding a different data center project in Box Elder County.
The Delta Gigasite, already under construction after five years of planning, encompasses 1,143 acres with an additional 30,000 acres leased for solar energy, which will meet the majority of the campus's energy needs. With an anticipated 10 gigawatts of electrical capacity at full build-out and a projected $17 billion investment over two decades, Creekstone was awarded a post-performance tax incentive by the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity. The company aims for an "essentially waterless operation" using dry cooling systems and anticipates generating 4,000 acre-feet of water annually through GIGAWATER, exceeding the site's own consumption.
The advent of GIGAWATER raises novel legal questions for Utah lawmakers regarding the ownership and sale of surplus water generated by a private entity. Conley acknowledged these unprecedented discussions but affirmed that the company, having invested in the technology, would likely not give the water away for free. Representative Jill Koford, who recently sponsored legislation requiring data centers to disclose water usage, praised Creekstone's initiative, hoping it sets a new standard for the industry's environmental practices.