Nebius Group NV | Vineland, New Jersey (PJM) | 6 units planned, 50 MW each (300 MW total) | Drone flights: March 9, June 3, and June 25, 2026
Our June 25 drone pass over the Vineland Data Center returned the clearest operational read we have on the site. A large on-site generator yard is running, with roughly 25 of the 62 containerized units in operation. DC01 shows the thermal signatures of an active facility, with sections of its rooftop cooling banks reading warm.
We have tracked Vineland across several passes since our first report, From Land Clearing to Thermal Signatures, and the June 25 flight is the first to deliver an unambiguous operational signal at DC01.
The generator yard, roughly 500 m southeast of the data halls, shows hot exhaust stacks on 25 of the 62 containerized gensets. Based on image these units are in the size class that tops out around 2 MW for road-towable equipment — natural-gas reciprocating units typically rated 1 to 1.5 MW at prime output — placing the running complement at roughly 35 to 50 MW of active generation, with the full yard representing 90 to 125 MW of installed capacity. This matches with the expected 50 MW online for DC01 but this likely means that DC02 is not complete.
On-site generation at this scale commonly serves as bridge power while a data center awaits its utility interconnection; however, we are not characterizing Vineland's specific grid arrangement here. Unit model and fuel type cannot be confirmed from imagery alone.
The generator yard in thermal. Hot exhaust stacks mark the running units; idle units read cold.
DC01, the completed hall at the northwest of the campus, shows the thermal pattern of an operating data center. Across the rooftop cooling banks, some sections read warm while others remain cool — the signature of a hall running at partial load. The adjoining hall, DC02, remains under construction.
DC01 and the campus from the south, 6/25/2026. Cooling banks line the roof of the completed hall; construction continues on the adjoining halls and the wider build-out.
The same view in thermal. Warmth is visible across sections of the DC01 cooling banks.
DC01 rooftop cooling banks, 6/25/2026. Visible (left) and thermal (right). Boxes mark sections reading warm; other sections remain cool.
A second set of DC01 cooling banks, 6/25/2026. Visible (left) and thermal (right). Boxes mark sections reading warm; the split between warm and cool is the signature of a hall running at partial load.
Reported in-service dates are from IIR Energy. Observations are from the June 25 drone pass.
|
Unit |
Capacity |
Reported In-Service (IIR Energy) |
June 25 Drone Observation |
|
DC01 |
50 MW |
2025-10-31 |
Operational signal: sections of cooling banks warm, packaged units hot |
|
DC02 |
50 MW |
2026-02-27 |
Under construction, built onto DC01 |
|
DC03 |
50 MW |
2027-01-29 |
Early site work / build-out area |
|
DC04 |
50 MW |
2027-10-29 |
Planned |
|
DC05 |
50 MW |
2028-07-31 |
Planned |
|
DC06 |
50 MW |
2029-08-31 |
Planned |
The May 2026 EIA 860M shows more than 7.2 GW of new projects added, of which over 46% were solar; gas continues to represent nearly 24% of the new additions.
A record 3.5 GW of projects were cancelled — the highest single-month cancellation total going back to 2016. Of those, 2.4 GW were battery projects, predominantly in Texas. All but one of the cancelled plants carried a Vulcan ranking below 3, once again demonstrating the predictive value of the Vulcan ranking system available to subscribers.
A rare data artifact appeared in this month's release: a plant's first appearance in the EIA 860M showed it already operational — what we call a ghost plant. In this case it was a 384 MW gas facility that has been in operation since 1999, not a new build. We flag these anomalies as part of our standard data review process.
Reviewing the cohort of projects whose expected online dates changed this month, the pattern is consistent with prior months: delays outnumber advancements. Projects are more likely to slip than to accelerate. The exception this week is notable — see the European Highlight below.
Blyth Cambois DC01 (72 MW), Northumberland, UK — filed online date: 2029 (Phase 1).
Land is already cleared at this site, and our model now places the first phase potentially online by end of 2027 — roughly two years ahead of its filed schedule. In a month defined by delays, Blyth Cambois stands out as the exception worth watching.
Our original report noted no visible site clearing at the 40 MW Data Vita DV3 project in Glasgow Airdrie. A fuller review of our satellite archive shows construction is in fact underway: land was cleared in January 2026, and the first structures appeared on 24 June 2026. Our model now places the build online around Q3 2027.
The project's small footprint — covering significantly less ground than typical 40 MW builds — caused early-stage activity to fall below our standard detection threshold. We have updated our review process accordingly, changed the site's status to Under Construction, and will revise the dates in our next data release. This self-correction is an example of the continuous validation process that underpins our accuracy record.
Vulcan pairs satellite monitoring with on-site thermal drone verification, providing the ground truth needed to look past reported milestones. Vulcan continues to expand - both in geographical coverage and in new project types (including pipelines). Our weekly research and independently verified methodology for tracking project online dates sharpen your intelligence before the market catches up.
For current clients: You direct our intelligence gathering. Vulcan runs dedicated thermal drone flights regularly, driven by subscriber demand. Submit site suggestions or commission targeted flyovers to validate your highest-conviction positions.
Custom mission requests: Send drone flight suggestions to David Bellman (dbellman@synmax.com) and Will Benfield (wbenfield@synmax.com).
Not yet a Vulcan client? If you need to know which facilities are actually energized — before the market does — reach out to David Bellman at dbellman@synmax.com to schedule a demo.