Monolith, a Lincoln-based company that produces carbon black using a low-emission process, is planning to build a data center at its Olive Creek Campus in Hallam, Nebraska. The company will submit applications for the first phase by mid-July, with Crusoe as the prospective partner. Monolith originally considered a larger carbon black and ammonia facility but chose a data center instead, citing lower traffic, reduced water use, and a lower height profile. The data center will use air-cooled or closed-loop systems to minimize water consumption. The project is split into two phases. Phase 1 covers a small parcel and requires Hallam to add data centers as an authorized use in its zoning ordinance. Phase 2 would expand eastward. Monolith says the data center is a better fit for the site and will have less impact on the local community compared to the original plan. Crusoe, the partner, focuses on renewable and low-carbon energy for its data centers, which currently have a 4.9 gigawatt power footprint. This project ties low-carbon industrial production to growing data center demand.
