project marvel - bessemer hyperscale data center
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project marvel - bessemer hyperscale data center
Facing significant community opposition from residents (70% Black community) and NAACP. Planning commission voted 4-2 to approve. Mayor signed NDA with developer. Would consume 1,200 MW (10x Birmingham residential usage). Transparency concerns regarding undisclosed developer identity.
| Investment | $14.5B |
| Power Capacity | 1.2 GW |
| Location | Bessemer, Jefferson County, Alabama |
| Status | Planned |
project overview
Facing significant community opposition from residents (70% Black community) and NAACP. Planning commission voted 4-2 to approve. Mayor signed NDA with developer. Would consume 1,200 MW (10x Birmingham residential usage). Transparency concerns regarding undisclosed developer identity.
location and scale
| Location | Bessemer, Jefferson County, Alabama |
| Region | Central Alabama |
| Status | Planned |
| Total Investment | $14.5B |
| Power Capacity | 1.2 GW |
| Total Area | 4.5M sq ft |
key stakeholders
| Sponsors | Logistics Land Investments LLC |
| Operators |
investment breakdown
The $14.5 billion investment is distributed across multiple components:
| Component | Amount | Percentage |
| IT Equipment (GPUs, servers, networking) | $9.4B | 65% |
| Building and Construction | $2.9B | 20% |
| Power Infrastructure | $1.4B | 10% |
| Other (cooling, security, land) | $725M | 5% |
equipment refresh cycles
IT equipment typically requires replacement every 3-5 years, meaning:
- Initial deployment: $9.4B
- 3-year refresh: Additional $7.5B estimated
- Total over 10 years: $23.6B in equipment
infrastructure requirements
power capacity
The facility requires 1.2 GW of power capacity:
| Total Power Capacity | 1.2 GW |
| Equivalent Homes Powered | 1,000,000 |
| Annual Energy Consumption | 10,512 GWh/year |
facility specifications
| Total Area | 4.5M sq ft |
| Raised Floor Space | 3.1M sq ft (estimated) |
| Power Density | 380 W/sq ft |
sustainability and cooling
Project would require 300-500 diesel generators for backup power and consume up to 2 million gallons of water daily.
construction timeline
| Announced | 2025 |
| Construction Start | None |
| Expected Completion | None |
economic impact analysis
job creation
| Peak Construction Jobs | 29,000 |
| Permanent Operations Jobs | 240 |
| Average Salary (estimated) | 120,000 |
economic multiplier effects
The project’s total economic impact extends beyond direct investment:
| Direct Investment | $14.5B |
| Total Economic Impact (2.5x multiplier) | $36.2B |
| Estimated Annual Tax Revenue | $72M |
| 30-Year Tax Revenue | $2.2B |
regional benefits
The project brings significant benefits to Alabama:
- Supply chain development: Local suppliers for construction materials, equipment, and services
- Infrastructure investment: Improved power grid, roads, and telecommunications
- Technology ecosystem: Attracts related tech companies and talent
- Educational partnerships: Training programs and university collaborations
- Real estate development: Increased commercial and residential development
technical specifications
workload types
| Workload Type | Description |
| HYPERSCALE | Large-scale cloud computing and storage |
strategic importance
competitive positioning
This mega-project represents a strategic investment by Logistics Land Investments LLC to:
- Cloud Expansion: Grow public cloud market share and regional presence
- Customer Proximity: Reduce latency for regional enterprise customers
- Service Diversity: Enable new services requiring massive compute resources
national infrastructure significance
As a mega-project (>$10B investment), this facility:
- Represents a major commitment to US technology infrastructure
- Contributes to national AI competitiveness and security
- Demonstrates Alabama’s emergence as a datacenter hub
- Sets new standards for scale and efficiency in datacenter design
regional integration
Alabama datacenter ecosystem
This project integrates into Alabama’s growing datacenter infrastructure:
- Power grid integration: Connection to regional transmission infrastructure
- Fiber connectivity: Access to major internet backbone routes
- Skilled workforce: Leverage regional technical talent and training programs
- Supply chain: Integration with local construction and equipment suppliers
community relations
Large-scale datacenter projects require strong community partnerships:
- Local hiring commitments: Priority hiring for construction and operations roles
- Educational partnerships: STEM programs and technical training initiatives
- Infrastructure improvements: Road, water, and utility infrastructure upgrades
- Tax revenue sharing: Property tax and incentive agreements with local governments
Jefferson County impact
The project specifically impacts Jefferson County through:
- Direct property tax revenue and economic development incentives
- Increased demand for housing, retail, and professional services
- Enhanced infrastructure that benefits broader community
- Recognition as a technology and innovation center
stakeholder analysis
project sponsors
Logistics Land Investments LLC
The sponsoring organizations bring complementary capabilities:
- Logistics Land Investments LLC: Strategic partner and stakeholder
operators and tenants
sources and references
- 700-acre data center in Bessemer, Alabama, approved despite opposition - Data Center Dynamics (2025) - https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/700-acre-data-center-in-bessemer-alabama-approved-despite-opposition/
- A 4 million-square-foot data center is planned for this Alabama town—but residents are pushing back - Fast Company (2025) - https://www.fastcompany.com/91332829/a-4-million-square-foot-data-center-is-planned-for-this-alabama-town-but-residents-are-pushing-back
- Alabamians Want Answers About a Four-Million-Square-Foot Data Center Coming to Their Backyards - Inside Climate News (2025-05-11) - https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11052025/bessemer-alabama-proposed-data-center/
- Bessemer Hyperscale Data Center - Bhamwiki (2025) - https://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Bessemer_Hyperscale_Data_Center
- NAACP Issues Letter Opposing Project Marvel Data Center in Alabama - NAACP (2025-09) - https://naacp.org/articles/naacp-issues-letter-opposing-project-marvel-data-center-alabama-growing-concerns
related pages
analysis current as of October 2025