Rowan Digital Cinco Data Center Campus
Proposed size
300 MW
Site area
440 ac
Cooling
Closed-loop cooling (water-positive initiative claimed by developer)
Investment
$0.9B
Developer
Rowan Digital Infrastructure
Rowan Digital broke ground in September 2025 on the Cinco campus, a 300 MW hyperscale data center on 440 acres near Lytle in Medina County. The $900 million project secured $550 million in construction financing and is pre-leased to a top-5 US technology company. An initial 60 MW was targeted for early 2026, with full operations expected 2027. Lytle City Council and Medina County Commissioners Court unanimously approved all project applications following a public open house in March 2025.
Water Impact
Daily water use (estimated range)
128.8K gal/day
Water returned per day
None reported
Per Edwards Aquifer Authority permit records — 144.5 acre-feet/year authorized (EAA permit on file; source: edwardsaquifer.org permit database, retrieved 2026-04-25), based on 144.5 ac-ft/yr × 325,851 gal/ac-ft ÷ 365 days = ~128,750 gal/day. This is the EAA-permitted withdrawal volume for cooling operations. Administrative/domestic use is not separately disclosed.
The higher estimate is equivalent to the daily water use of approximately 429 households.
- Water intake
- 128.8K gal/day
- Lost to evaporation
- 100%
- Returned to system
- 0% (None reported)
Location
Address: TX-132 & County Road 683, Lytle, Medina County, TX
Distance to aquifer edge: 0 miles
Infrastructure
- Power provider
- AEP / ERCOT
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Timeline
April 25, 2026
EAA cooling water permit confirmed: 144.5 ac-ft/year
Edwards Aquifer Authority permit records confirm Rowan Cinco's authorized cooling water withdrawal at 144.5 acre-feet per year (~128,750 gallons per day). This is the first independently verified water consumption figure for this project; previous estimates were based on LBNL benchmarks. The permit covers cooling tower evaporation; administrative/domestic use is not separately metered in public records.
Source →(opens in new tab)Via research-projects
February 11, 2026
$550M construction financing closes for Project Cinco
Rowan Digital Infrastructure announced on February 11, 2026 the close of $550 million in construction financing for the first development phase of Project Cinco. The green loan was co-structured by TD and Mizuho and received a "Strong" Sustainalytics rating. The financing supports the 300 MW campus representing a minimum $900 million local investment.
Source →(opens in new tab)October 3, 2025
KSAT12 covers Medina County data center water and land impacts including Cinco
KSAT12 aired an investigation on October 3, 2025 examining the cumulative water, land, and community impacts of Medina County data center projects, including the Rowan Cinco campus. The report raised concerns about long-term strain on regional water supplies during an ongoing exceptional drought.
Source →(opens in new tab)September 15, 2025
Groundbreaking ceremony for Project Cinco campus in Lytle
Rowan Digital Infrastructure hosted a formal groundbreaking for Project Cinco on September 15, 2025, with partners from throughout the Medina County region. The 300 MW, 440-acre campus is expected to generate approximately 600 construction jobs and more than 40 permanent positions, with full operations targeted for 2027.
Source →(opens in new tab)March 31, 2025
Lytle City Council and Medina County Commissioners unanimously approve all Project Cinco applications
The Lytle City Council and Medina County Commissioners' Court both voted unanimously to approve all project-related applications for Project Cinco on or around March 31, 2025. Approvals covered annexation, the development agreement, and tax incentives for the $900 million minimum-investment campus.
Source →(opens in new tab)March 24, 2025
Lytle City Council public hearing on Project Cinco tax abatements and development agreement
The Lytle City Council held a public hearing on March 24, 2025 to consider tax abatements and a development agreement for Project Cinco. The hearing also addressed annexation of the 440-acre site into Lytle's city limits. Medina County commissioners had already approved an 80-percent property-tax break covering the initial ten years.
Source →(opens in new tab)March 3, 2025
Community open house at Lytle High School draws 230+ attendees
Rowan Digital Infrastructure hosted a public open house at Lytle High School on March 3, 2025 to present its proposed Project Cinco, a 300 MW hyperscale campus on approximately 440 acres near Lytle. More than 230 community members attended, making it one of the largest public engagement events in Medina County's recent history for a private development.
Source →(opens in new tab)
Sources
- 1. Rowan Digital breaks ground on 300MW data center campus outside San Antonio, Texas — Data Center Dynamics, 2025-09-01. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 2. $550M in Construction Financing Secured for 300 MW Project Cinco — Rowan Digital Infrastructure, 2025-09-01. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 3. The impact of billion-dollar data centers in water-stressed Medina County — KSAT, 2025-10-03. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 4. How One Texas County Struck a Deal With Its Data Centers — Texas Monthly, 2025-11-01. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 5. Rowan Cinco — datacentermap.com — datacentermap.com, 2026-04-20. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 6. EAA Permit Database — Rowan Cinco cooling water authorization — Edwards Aquifer Authority, 2026-04-25. Link →(opens in new tab)
Community Notes
Located on the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone in an area facing exceptional drought. Texas Monthly and KSAT reported extensively on water stress concerns in this corridor. Rowan's community communication site is at rowanmedina.com. The facility is designed with closed-loop cooling and water-positive initiatives.