Samsung Heavy Industries and Mousterian to Build Floating AI Datacenters in Texas
The partnership aims to bypass land scarcity by mooring 50 MW compute facilities next to power plants, though a state grid moratorium looms.
Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Dallas-based Mousterian Corporation have signed an engineering contract to develop floating datacenters designed specifically for AI workloads. The initiative seeks to solve the critical shortage of land and power available for the rapidly expanding AI sector by moving compute infrastructure directly to the energy source.
The agreement covers the basic design, detailed engineering, and production design for floating facilities, with each unit providing 50 MW of critical IT capacity. As part of the initial rollout, the companies plan to deploy a pilot site located adjacent to an existing combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in Houston. According to Mousterian CEO Min Suh, the contract transitions the partnership from intent to execution, providing a path to scale factory-built capacity for AI-class facilities.
The Shift to Maritime Infrastructure
This pivot into digital infrastructure leverages Samsung Heavy Industries' five decades of experience in offshore and maritime construction. By fabricating datacenters in shipyards and mooring them near power generation sites, the partners aim to significantly accelerate deployment timelines compared to traditional land-based construction. Choi Sung-An, Vice Chairman and CEO of SHI, described floating datacenters as a natural extension of the company's existing engineering and fabrication capabilities.
Grid Bottlenecks and Regulatory Hurdles
Despite the innovative architecture, the project faces immediate headwinds from Texas state regulators. Governor Greg Abbott recently ordered the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and ERCOT to halt approvals for new datacenter grid connections. This moratorium is pending a comprehensive audit of energy and water usage across the state.
The scale of the demand is unprecedented; ERCOT is currently processing requests for over 474 GW of new connections. Datacenters account for approximately 90% of these requests, creating a massive bottleneck that threatens to stall new AI infrastructure regardless of whether it is land-based or floating.
Industry Implications
This project represents a significant architectural shift in AI infrastructure. By attempting to bypass land scarcity and grid congestion, SHI and Mousterian are testing whether the 'power and land' bottleneck can be solved through maritime engineering. However, the Texas moratorium underscores a growing tension between the exponential growth of AI and the physical limits of regional energy grids.
What to Watch
The success of the Houston pilot will depend largely on the outcome of the state's energy audit. It remains to be seen if 'water-adjacent' solutions will be granted exemptions or if they will remain subject to the same strict regulatory oversight as traditional facilities. Observers will be watching for any updates from the PUCT regarding the resumption of grid connection approvals.