A Vancouver-based resource company specializing in the exploration and production of helium, hydrogen, and natural gas is working to help power an emerging artificial intelligence data centre in the Southwestern United States.
Canada’s Desert Mountain Energy this month signed a letter of intent to build a sodium-nickel-chloride battery manufacturing plant for the Roswell Information Park, a forthcoming hyper-scale AI data centre campus in New Mexico.
“We are honoured to play a role in shaping the future of the Roswell Information Park,” commented Robert Rohlfing, chief executive officer of Desert Mountain, in September.
According to details of the agreement, produced water from area operators would be treated and repurposed for cooling and processing needs, thereby reducing the volume of water extracted from the aquifer while also lowering operating costs for smaller oil and gas producers.
“Our work with helium and natural gas positions us to contribute meaningfully to both the energy supply and the long-term sustainability of this project,” Rohlfing stated. “Incorporating carbon capture is a critical step in ensuring that the data center’s energy footprint remains responsible while meeting the growing demands of AI computing.”
Sodium-nickel-chloride batteries are known for their stability, long lifecycle, and high resistance to burning or exploding.
These attributes are important for hyper-scale data centres, according to Rohlfing, who says that dependability is paramount and downtime is intolerable.
The next step is an engineering evaluation of the project, with further updates promised as milestones are reached.
Founded in 2008 as African Queen Mines, the publicly traded Desert Mountain Energy rebranded in 2018 amid a pivot toward clean energy tech.