Bitzero to Turn Cold War Relic into a Data Center for $500M

The governor’s office of North Dakota announced a deal that will see the company Bitzero Blockchain turn a relic of the Cold War into a “highly secure data center for high-performance computing and data processing.”

The site, known as The Pyramid, was part of a 1970s effort to protect US military bases from Soviet attack, according to the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The Stanley R. Mickelson Safeguard Complex is “a huge concrete pyramid which housed the men and equipment that protected the Grand Forks Air Force Base missile field from possible attack by Soviet missiles.” The only installation of its kind, it controlled dozens of anti-ballistic missiles but remained in operation only eight months in 1975.

“We are deeply grateful for Bitzero’s significant investment in our state and for the tireless efforts of the North Dakota Department of Commerce and Cavalier County Job Development Authority to secure a viable tenant and seize the potential of this historic structure,” Gov. Doug Burgum said in prepared remarks. 

The Bitzero project seems to be the only serious use of the site and its three-foot-thick walls in the nearly 50 years since the shutdown of what became known as a white elephant.

“Bitzero’s bid for the site was delivered with a comprehensive Zero Carbon Displacement (ZCD) energy strategy, meaning the facility’s carbon footprint will be offset with use of renewable energy sources,” according to the state.

The company reportedly plans to build 200 megawatts of data centers over a few years and a “graphene battery assembly and distribution hub.”

Bitzero had announced in June 2022 that it would situate its North American headquarters in North Dakota. At the time, the office of the governor touted the state’s “robust energy industry, favorable tax and regulatory environment, and access to top-tier engineering and software talent” as the reason for the company’s decision.

“To date, Bitzero has raised close to $100 million in investment capital and plans to have an initial public offering on the Canadian stock exchange within the next 60 days and subsequently be listed on the Nasdaq once regulatory approval is passed,” company officials said earlier statements.

The site is supposed to employ between 35 to 50 people when the new data center is operational. Data centers are designed to leverage technical expertise and minimize the number of people who work there.