Concept Development Proposal · Burke Lakefront Airport · Cleveland, Ohio

Lakefront
Energy
Campus

Burke NE Peninsula · ±150 Acres · Airport Stays Open · 2029–2035
±150 Acres · NE peninsula
500 MW Data center (1 GW-ready)
1,200+ Permanent jobs
5,000 Student pipeline
0 Acres of airfield disturbed
2035 Full operations
01
Executive Summary

The most ambitious
lakefront proposal
in American history

Every previous Burke proposal started by trying to close the airport — the single hardest, slowest regulatory gate in Cleveland. This proposal does the opposite: the airport stays open and the main runway keeps flying. The energy campus is built entirely on the ±150-acre dredge-disposal peninsula on the northeast corner of Burke — the confined-disposal fill east of the East Basin that is already closed to the public and unusable for aviation. Vehicles reach it through a single secured gateway on the southeast side, and a continuous security wall, vegetated buffer, and patrol road separate the campus from the active airfield to the south, satisfying FAA Part 139 air-operations-area separation. The campus is anchored by a 500 MW hyperscale data center — expandable to 1 GW — powered by an on-site GE Vernova 7HA turbine power island with exhaust-heat steam recovery, and it still turns Lake Erie water into green hydrogen and green ammonia while layering civic space and a full educational pipeline on top.

"The breakthrough is that no airport closure is required at all. Cleveland keeps Burke flying and builds a nationally significant energy and data-center campus on land the runway never touches — the closed dredge-disposal peninsula on the northeast corner. The hardest political fight simply disappears." — Burke NE Energy Campus Concept, 2026

The campus integrates seven converging pillars: a 500 MW hyperscale data center (reserved to grow to 1 GW) cooled by Lake Erie deep water; an on-site GE Vernova 7HA gas-turbine power island whose turbine exhaust is captured by heat-recovery steam generators to make steam for campus hot water and district heating, and which is engineered to co-fire the campus's own green hydrogen; a reserved, pre-permitted footprint for a small modular reactor (SMR) that lifts the campus to 1 GW of firm, zero-carbon baseload; Lake Erie water purification and PEM electrolysis producing green hydrogen; Sierra Energy FastOx gasification converting Cleveland MSW into syngas; Haber-Bosch green ammonia synthesis; and active discharge reoxygenation returning expelled water to full ecological health — all behind a hardened security wall that keeps the campus and the airfield completely separate. At full operation the campus supports 1,200+ permanent high-quality jobs and generates roughly $1.2B/year in gross revenue, anchored by the data center.

500 MW PEM electrolyser capacity 180 t green H₂/day · Largest in Great Lakes
1,200 t Green ammonia per day Haber-Bosch synthesis · H₂ + air-separated N₂
500 MW Data center IT load 1 GW-ready · Lake Erie cooling · sub-1.1 PUE
500 MW GE Vernova 7HA power island Exhaust-heat steam CHP · H₂ co-fire · SMR-ready to 1 GW
$1.1B Energy-core capital cost Water/H₂/NH₃ core · data center + power separately developer-financed
1 GW Reserved expansion capacity Pre-permitted SMR + 7HA footprint for phase-two growth
Aerial concept rendering of the Burke NE energy campus with the retained runway and downtown Cleveland skyline beyond
Concept rendering — the energy campus on Burke's northeast peninsula, with the active runway and downtown skyline beyond. AI-generated concept
02
Campus Master Plan

Twelve zones.
One secured
NE-corner campus.

The campus occupies only the ±150-acre dredge-disposal peninsula on Burke's northeast corner — the confined-disposal fill east of the East Basin. The 6,604 ft primary runway and all active airfield land to the south are untouched and keep operating. Because the fill is engineered dredge material, every heavy structure sits on driven piles to bearing strata. A continuous 12-ft security wall, a 100-ft vegetated buffer, and a perimeter patrol road run along the entire southern boundary, separating the campus from the airfield's air-operations area per FAA Part 139; the only vehicular entry is a hardened secured gateway on the southeast side off N. Marginal Road. A reserved interior parcel is pre-graded for a small modular reactor. City retains fee ownership via 99-year ground lease.

LAKE ERIE N EAST BASIN ▸ Marine H₂/NH₃ bunkering pier + public promenade · north bulkhead PEM 500 MWelectrolyser180 t H₂/day 7HA POWER ISLAND≈500 MW · CHPHRSG steam / heatH₂ co-fire · +backup gensets DATA CENTER500 MW → 1 GWLake-Erie cooledDLC · sub-1.1 PUE SMRRESERVE1 GWpath H₂/NH₃ STORAGE350 bar tubescryo NH₃72-hr buffer HABER-BOSCH NH₃1,200 t/dayFastOx gasifierAir Separation Unit WATER INTAKE & TREATMENTRO / DI to <1 µS/cm · 40,000 gpmgrid interconnect / substationdischarge reoxygenation cascade ◄ SECURITY WALL · 100-ft VEGETATED BUFFER · PATROL ROAD ► BURKE AIRFIELD · AIR OPERATIONS AREA — UNDISTURBED, ACTIVE (FAA Part 139) RUNWAY 6R/24L · 6,604 ft · RETAINED & OPERATIONAL GATE SE SECURED GATEWAY sole campus vehicle entry N. MARGINAL RD · SHOREWAY · I-90
Schematic site organization (not to scale, north up). The energy campus occupies only the NE dredge-disposal peninsula; the runway and airfield to the south are retained and physically separated by a hardened wall and buffer, with the sole vehicle entry through the SE secured gateway.
Zone 1 · Phase 1 · 2029–2031

Lake Erie Water Intake & Treatment

Submerged intake crib 300–600 m offshore draws below the thermocline. Fish exclusion screens at <0.15 m/s protect aquatic life. Shoreline treatment train: softening (ion exchange) → reverse osmosis → deionisation polishing to <1 µS/cm conductivity. At 500 MW electrolyser input, water consumption is ~3.6M litres/day — trivial against Lake Erie's 25,700 km² surface. The intake station doubles as a Great Lakes Water Quality monitoring hub partnered with Cleveland Water Alliance and NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.

Submerged crib intakeRO membranesDI polishing <1µS/cmGLWQA compliantNOAA partnership
$120M
18 acres · Phase 1
Zone 2 · Phase 1 · 2029–2031

PEM Electrolyser Farm

500 MW of proton exchange membrane electrolysis — 7.5 t H₂/hr, 180 t/day — housed in long, low pile-supported halls on the peninsula's western fill cells. Green hydrogen now serves four offtakes: co-firing the 7HA power island (displacing natural gas over time), Haber-Bosch ammonia feedstock, industrial H₂ sales at ~$4/kg (~$70M/year), and marine bunkering. O₂ byproduct (99.5% pure) sold to Cleveland Clinic at ~$8M/year. The IRA §45V clean hydrogen production tax credit of $3/kg for 10 years adds $47.5M/year, transforming project fundamentals.

500 MW PEM180 t H₂/day$70M/yr revenue§45V eligibleO₂ to Cleveland Clinic
$600M
65 acres · Phase 1
Zone 3 · Phase 2 · 2030–2032

Sierra Energy FastOx Gasification

FastOx shaft gasification — derived from Kaiser Steel blast furnace technology by Sierra Energy (Davis, CA) — converts Cleveland MSW at temperatures exceeding 2,200°C using oxygen and steam injection. No preprocessing required. Waste descends through drying, pyrolysis, gasification, and partial oxidation zones producing clean syngas (H₂ + CO) and inert vitrified slag suitable for road aggregate. The syngas feeds the Haber-Bosch ammonia synthesis loop after water-gas shift reaction and CO₂ removal. Cleveland pays gate fees to tip waste at the campus instead of landfill, converting a $15–20M/year cost center into a revenue stream. Zero liquid discharge design.

FastOx shaft gasifierMSW feedstock2,200°C operating tempSyngas → Haber-BoschVitrified slagZero landfill
$380M
22 acres · Phase 2
Zone 4 · Phase 1 · 2029–2031 · SMR-ready

GE Vernova 7HA Power Island

The campus's primary generation and the data center's dedicated power: GE Vernova 7HA-class gas turbines in 1×1 combined-cycle blocks delivering approximately 500 MW net. Turbine exhaust (≈630°C) is captured by heat-recovery steam generators (HRSGs); the steam drives a steam turbine for additional output and bleeds process steam for campus hot water and district heating — a true combined-heat-and-power island rather than simple-cycle waste. The 7HA is rated to co-fire hydrogen, so the campus's own green H₂ progressively displaces natural gas. A reserved, pre-graded interior parcel and switchyard headroom let a small modular reactor add firm zero-carbon baseload and lift the site to 1 GW. Backup and island resilience come from a fuel-flexible generation fleet — Mainspring Energy linear generators paired with Hyliion KARNO modules, plus BESS — sized N+1 so the campus rides through any grid or turbine event. Mainspring's units are shipping commercially today and anchor near-term availability; KARNO scales into the fleet as it reaches volume. Both run on natural gas now and the campus's green hydrogen as it ramps.

GE Vernova 7HA · ≈500 MWHRSG exhaust-heat steamDistrict heat + hot waterH₂ co-fire capableSMR-ready → 1 GWMainspring + KARNO backup (N+1)
$650M
30 acres · Phase 1
Zone 5 · Phase 2 · 2030–2032

Haber-Bosch Green Ammonia Synthesis

1,200 t/day green ammonia plant combining electrolytic H₂ with nitrogen from an on-site Air Separation Unit. Synthesis loop operates at 150–300 bar, 400–500°C over iron catalyst with K₂O and Al₂O₃ promoters. Only 15–25% converts per pass; unreacted gas recycles. Ammonia serves three simultaneous markets: zero-carbon fertilizer for Great Lakes agriculture, hydrogen carrier for marine bunkering (cracked back to H₂ at point of use), and pipeline export to the NE Ohio industrial corridor. The FastOx syngas-to-ammonia integration creates a circular economy: Cleveland MSW becomes fertilizer. Truck loading bay is the most safety-critical zone — IDLH 300 ppm NH₃, MC-331 tanker specifications, vapor recovery, emergency shutdown.

1,200 t/day NH₃150–300 bar synthesisAir Separation UnitH₂ carrierFertilizer exportMarine bunkering
$550M
20 acres · Phase 2
Zone 6 · Phase 1 · 2029–2031

Grid Interconnection & Substation

New point of common coupling (PCC) on the Shoreway corridor connecting to Cleveland Public Power and FirstEnergy. IEEE 1547-2018 islanding provision with anti-islanding protection, fault current limiting, and frequency response. The campus can disconnect from the grid and continue serving all loads autonomously during utility outages — a transformational resilience upgrade for Cleveland's lakefront, which currently goes dark in any grid disturbance. Qualifies for Ohio's capacity market. The LEEDCo Icebreaker Wind submarine cable lands here, making Burke the onshore hub for Lake Erie offshore wind.

345kV substationIEEE 1547-2018 Cat IIICPP + FirstEnergyIsland modeIcebreaker Wind landing
$95M
8 acres · Phase 1
Zone 7 · Phase 2 · 2030–2032

Lake Erie Offshore Wind Tie-In

Onshore landing for the LEEDCo Icebreaker Wind submarine cable — six turbines generating up to 126 MW approximately 13 km offshore from Burke. A dedicated submarine cable landing at this zone makes Burke the onshore hub for Lake Erie offshore wind. The electrolyser farm directly absorbs curtailed offshore generation that would otherwise be wasted. During periods of high wind and low demand, excess electricity drives electrolysis rather than being curtailed — effectively converting storage-less wind into storable hydrogen. This is the "long game" for scaling the campus to full 500 MW electrolyser capacity.

LEEDCo Icebreaker126 MW OSWSubmarine cableCurtailment absorptionH₂ storage buffer
$45M
5 acres · Phase 2
Zone 8 · Phase 4 · 2033–2034

Marine H₂ Bunkering Pier

The completed dredge-disposal cells are the campus itself; the bunkering pier is built along the peninsula's north bulkhead on Lake Erie, coordinated with the US Army Corps and Port of Cleveland. A hydrogen and liquid-ammonia bunkering facility here makes Cleveland the first Great Lakes port to offer green hydrogen marine fuel. The International Maritime Organization's 2050 decarbonisation targets are driving rapid adoption of alternative fuels across the Great Lakes fleet. IMO-compliant H₂-grade fueling station; NH₃ cracking-on-demand for ships preferring H₂ combustion. Serves bulk carriers, container vessels, and passenger ferries to Canada.

H₂ bunkeringLiquid NH₃ transferIMO 2050Great Lakes fleetArmy Corps bulkhead
$280M
12 acres · Phase 4
Zone 9 · Phase 2 · 2030–2032

H₂ & NH₃ Storage Field

High-pressure H₂ tube storage at 350 bar plus cryogenic liquid ammonia tanks. Buffer capacity of 72 hours at full production rate. Functions as a grid-scale virtual battery: during low-demand periods surplus production fills storage; during peaks, stored H₂ raises the 7HA hydrogen co-fire fraction and can drive additional export. This demand-response capability qualifies for ancillary-services payments from PJM. The storage field also decouples the electrolyser schedule from the power island — absorbing electrolyser output during low-load periods and buffering H₂ supply to the turbines during transients.

350 bar H₂ tubesCryo liquid NH₃72-hr bufferDemand responsePJM ancillary services
$310M
16 acres · Phase 2
Zone 10 · ANCHOR · Phase 1–3 · 2030–2035

Hyperscale Data Center — 500 MW

The anchor tenant and economic engine: a 500 MW IT-load hyperscale campus phased 100 → 250 → 500 MW, with a reserved, pre-permitted footprint and power headroom to reach 1 GW. Powered directly by the on-site 7HA power island (SMR-ready), it needs no scarce grid capacity — the constraint that stalls hyperscale siting everywhere else. Lake Erie deep-water cooling achieves sub-1.1 PUE: raw intake → traveling screens → RO filtration → heat-exchanger battery → CRAH + direct-liquid-cooling manifolds → warm return → reoxygenation cascade → UV → submerged diffuser. DLC for AI GPU clusters at up to 130 kW/rack; diverse fiber to the Cleveland One carrier hotel. Leased wholesale to a hyperscaler, it is developer-/tenant-financed off the city's balance sheet.

500 MW IT (1 GW-ready)Sub-1.1 PUELake Erie cooling130 kW/rack DLC7HA + SMR powerReoxygenated discharge
$5.5B
55 acres · Phase 1–3 · tenant-financed
Zone 11 · Phase 3 · 2031–2034

Public Lakefront Campus

The public amenities zone faces Lake Erie along the northern edge. The key addition beyond previous Burke proposals is an Energy Discovery Centre — a world-class science attraction making the campus's water-to-energy systems visible. Visitors walk above the electrolyser farm on a glass-floored observation deck, watching hydrogen being produced from Lake Erie water. Great Lakes Science Center partnership natural — it sits immediately adjacent on North Coast Harbor. Campus buildings draw on the 7HA power island (rising green-H₂ co-fire), CHP district heat, and solar canopies over parking and public gathering areas. This is where the campus earns its public legitimacy — and finally opens 2 miles of lakefront that 85% of Clevelanders currently cannot access.

Energy Discovery CentreGlass-floor viewing deckGreat Lakes Science CenterZero-carbon buildingsHotel + sports + promenade
$180M
45 acres · Phase 3
Zone 12 · Phase 3 · 2031–2034

Research & Education Campus

Case Western Reserve University — 5 km east on Euclid Avenue, with 80 years of electrochemistry leadership and six Electrochemical Society fellows — co-operates a Clean Energy Research Institute with Cleveland Clinic. CWRU's Great Lakes Energy Institute researches batteries, fuel cells, PEM membrane development, and electrochemical engineering; the Burke campus gives them what no university lab can replicate: a full-scale operating PEM electrolyser farm. A PhD student investigating new PEM membrane materials installs test cells directly into the Burke electrolyser farm and collects real performance data under real fouling, pressure cycling, and water quality variation — conditions a university lab can only approximate. Cleveland State's Midwest Hydrogen Center of Excellence also anchors here.

Case Western GLEICleveland ClinicCSU H₂ CenterLive PEM testbedDOE funding anchorAdvanced manufacturing
$220M
30 acres · Phase 3
03
The Core Process

Lake Erie water
to green hydrogen
in six stages

1
Stage 1 · Intake

Lake Erie water draw

A submerged intake crib positioned 300–600 metres offshore draws water below the thermal stratification layer — consistently 38–55°F year-round regardless of surface ice or summer warming. Fish exclusion screens at mesh 1 mm, approach velocity controlled to under 0.15 m/s, meet Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) requirements non-negotiably. Raw intake capacity: 40,000 gallons per minute feeding the shoreline pump station. At 500 MW electrolyser load, water consumption is approximately 3.6 million litres per day — a trivial draw on a lake with 25,700 km² of surface area.

2
Stage 2 · Water Treatment

Purification to electrolysis grade

The treatment train achieves electrolysis-grade feedwater in three stages: (1) Softening via ion exchange removes calcium, magnesium, and other hardness ions that would foul PEM membranes; (2) Reverse osmosis reduces TDS by 95%+ and removes particulates; (3) Final deionisation (DI) polishing achieves <1 µS/cm conductivity — the specification required by PEM electrolyser manufacturers to protect the proton exchange membrane and avoid accelerated stack degradation. This ultra-pure water is what makes the electrolyser farm's claimed 80,000-hour stack life achievable.

3
Stage 3 · Electrolysis

Splitting water with electricity

500 MW of PEM electrolyser current passes through the purified water: 2H₂O → 2H₂ + O₂. The proton exchange membrane allows only protons (H⁺) to pass, producing high-purity hydrogen at the cathode. At 50 kWh/kg system efficiency, 500 MW produces approximately 10,000 kg of hydrogen per hour — 180 tonnes per day. PEM output H₂ is approximately 99.9% pure, at 30–50 bar, containing trace moisture. Stack lifetime at rated current density: approximately 80,000 hours (about 9 years) before major stack replacement, a primary O&M cost driver.

4
Stage 4 · Purification & Drying

H₂ conditioning for use and storage

PEM output hydrogen contains trace moisture and <0.1% oxygen. A pressure swing adsorption (PSA) drier or membrane drier reduces dewpoint below −40°C, protecting high-pressure storage vessels from internal corrosion. A catalytic deoxo unit (palladium catalyst) removes O₂ to <1 ppm where required by storage specifications. For direct turbine co-fire supply, the deoxo step is often omitted. Final purity: 99.95%+ H₂, dry, at 30–50 bar — ready for buffer storage, the 7HA fuel skid, or compression to 350 bar for tube storage and transport.

5
Stage 5 · Buffer Storage

Operational decoupling and flexibility

A hydrogen buffer decouples the electrolyser schedule from turbine demand: it absorbs electrolyser output during low-load periods and steadies H₂ supply to the 7HA co-fire skid during transients, while the Mainspring + KARNO backup fleet covers black-start and momentary island events. The 72-hour bulk storage field (Zone 9) provides the strategic buffer for grid services, demand response, and raising the turbines' hydrogen co-fire fraction on demand.

6
Stage 6 · Power & Heat

The 7HA power island: fuel to electricity + steam

The GE Vernova 7HA turbines generate the campus's electricity, burning natural gas at commissioning and progressively co-firing the green hydrogen produced upstream. Rather than vent the ≈630°C exhaust, heat-recovery steam generators capture it to raise steam — driving a bottoming steam turbine for extra megawatts and bleeding process steam for campus hot water and district heating. That combined-heat-and-power recovery is what lifts overall fuel efficiency well past a simple-cycle plant. Every added kilogram of on-site H₂ co-fire lowers the carbon intensity of the whole campus, and the reserved SMR parcel offers a firm zero-carbon path to 1 GW.

04
Power Architecture · 7HA CHP + SMR

A 7HA power island
with a nuclear
upgrade path

The power island is a dedicated ≈500 MW GE Vernova 7HA combined-cycle CHP plant that powers the data center directly — sidestepping the grid-capacity queues that stall hyperscale siting everywhere else. Exhaust heat becomes steam for power and district heat; the turbines are built to co-fire the campus's own green hydrogen; and a reserved SMR parcel gives a firm zero-carbon route to 1 GW. A fuel-flexible backup fleet — Mainspring linear generators + Hyliion KARNO, plus BESS — provides N+1 backup, black-start, and full island capability.

"Backup is a fleet, not a single bet: Mainspring Energy linear generators — commercially shipping today — pair with Hyliion KARNO modules and battery storage to give the data center N+1 redundant, multi-fuel, island-capable backup power that runs on natural gas now and the campus's own green hydrogen as it ramps."

GE Vernova 7HA Turbine

Turbine classGE Vernova 7HA (H-class)
Configuration1×1 combined cycle (GT+ST+HRSG)
Campus net output≈500 MW
Exhaust temperature≈630 °C to HRSG
Combined-cycle efficiency>63% LHV (CHP higher)
Startup classFast-start, high ramp
Hydrogen co-fireNG → H₂ blend, rising fraction
Emissions controlDLN + SCR (low NOx)
Primary offtakeDedicated to data center

Power Island Configuration

Prime power≈500 MW (data center anchor)
Waste-heat recoveryHRSG → steam turbine + process steam
CHP steam / hot waterCampus + North Coast Harbor heat
Backup generationMainspring + Hyliion KARNO linear gens
Backup availabilityMainspring shipping now · KARNO scaling in
Redundancy / storageN+1 multi-fuel gensets + BESS · black-start
Grid interfaceIEEE 1547-2018 · island-capable
Fuel supplyPipeline NG + on-site green H₂
Footprint≈30 acres, interior of peninsula
Surplus exportCPP / PJM when DC load is low

SMR Upgrade Path → 1 GW

Reserved parcelPre-graded interior site
Candidate technologyGE Vernova BWRX-300 / NuScale
Added firm capacity~300–500 MW zero-carbon
Combined campus target1 GW firm baseload
LicensingNRC — parallel long-lead track
CoolingShared Lake Erie closed-loop
RoleDisplaces / augments 7HA baseload
Federal supportDOE / NRC advanced-reactor programs
05
Industrial Chemicals

From trash
and water to
green ammonia

The Haber-Bosch synthesis loop — combining electrolytic hydrogen from Lake Erie water with nitrogen from atmospheric air — produces 1,200 tonnes of zero-carbon ammonia per day. Simultaneously, the FastOx gasifier converts Cleveland's municipal solid waste into syngas that supplements the hydrogen feedstock, creating a genuine circular economy.

Process StageInputOutputKey Parameter
FastOx GasificationCleveland MSW (unprocessed)Syngas (H₂ + CO + CO₂)2,200°C · O₂ + steam injection
Water-Gas ShiftSyngas + steamH₂-rich gas + CO₂CO + H₂O → CO₂ + H₂
CO₂ RemovalShifted syngasHigh-purity H₂Amine scrubbing or pressure swing
Air Separation UnitAtmospheric airPure N₂ (78% of air)Cryogenic distillation
Gas MixingH₂ + N₂Synthesis gas3:1 H₂:N₂ ratio
Haber-Bosch LoopSynthesis gasNH₃ (15–25% per pass)150–300 bar · 400–500°C · Fe catalyst
Ammonia SeparationNH₃ + unreacted gasLiquid NH₃ · recycled gasCooling + condensation
Storage & LoadingLiquid NH₃Tank storage / tanker loading−33°C / 1 atm · or 10–17 bar pressurized

FastOx Advantages vs. Conventional MSW

Preprocessing requiredNone
Landfill residueZero
Slag typeInert vitrified · road aggregate
Gate feeRevenue (vs. landfill cost)
Dioxin/furan controlHigh-temp destruction
Liquid dischargeZero
Carbon conversionNear-complete

Ammonia Market Positioning

Green NH₃ price premium$550–700/tonne
Conventional NH₃ price$300–450/tonne
Annual production value~$240M/yr
Primary market 1Great Lakes agriculture
Primary market 2Marine bunkering (H₂ carrier)
Primary market 3NE Ohio industrial pipeline
Technology licensorTopsoe / KBR / Casale
06
Digital Infrastructure

Lake Erie as a
data center
cooling medium

The AI and cloud industry faces a global power-and-cooling crisis: hyperscalers cannot find sites that offer both large firm power and viable cooling. Burke's NE campus solves both at 500 MW, with a clear runway to 1 GW. The on-site 7HA power island (SMR-ready) supplies dedicated power without waiting in a grid-interconnection queue; Lake Erie deep water removes mechanical-chiller dependency and holds PUE below 1.1.

"Lake Erie — one of the largest surface freshwater bodies on Earth — serves as the primary feedstock for green hydrogen production, the cooling medium for a hyperscale data center, and a living demonstration of responsible water stewardship through active discharge reoxygenation."

Data Center Physical Specs

Total IT load capacity500 MW (1 GW-ready)
Phase 1 IT load100 MW
Phase 2 IT load250 MW
Phase 3 IT load500 MW
Building footprint~1.5M sq ft (multi-hall)
Structure typePile-supported on dredge fill
Power deliveryOn-site 7HA island (SMR-ready)
UPS + backupDual UPS + BESS + island power
ConnectivityDiverse fiber · Cleveland One
Max rack density130 kW/rack (DLC)

Deep-Water Cooling System

Cooling modelClosed-loop lake exchange
Lake intake depth25–40 ft (below thermocline)
Supply temperature38–55°F year-round
Treatment trainScreens → RO → heat exchanger
Cooling arch.CRAC/CRAH + DLC manifolds
PUE target< 1.1 (world-class)
Discharge treatmentReoxygenation cascade + UV
Discharge methodSubmerged diffuser
O₂ restorationTo lake ambient levels
PrecedentsSt. Paul DEC · Toronto DCC

Data Center Revenue Model

Revenue modelHyperscale wholesale lease
Target tenantsHyperscaler / AI / cloud
Lease rate (indicative)~$1.4–1.8M/MW/yr wholesale
Revenue @ 500 MW full~$700–900M/yr
Premium productHigh-density AI GPU halls
DLC advantage>40 kW/rack — air can't match
Green pathwayH₂ co-fire + SMR to zero-carbon
Power sourceOn-site 7HA island → SMR (1 GW)
PPA structureLong-term behind-the-meter PPA
07
Workforce Development

CMSD to Case Western
without leaving
Cleveland

The Burke campus creates a five-tier educational pipeline connecting every level of Cleveland's academic ecosystem to real careers in clean energy — and uniquely, every tier uses the Burke campus itself as a live classroom. No simulation. No approximation. Real industrial hydrogen infrastructure at real operating scale.

Tier 1 · Elementary
Cleveland Public Schools

Early Awareness & Environmental Literacy

Field trips from Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) elementary schools to the Energy Discovery Centre — the glass-floored observation deck above the electrolyser farm. Students in grades 3–6 watch hydrogen being made from lake water in real time, then trace it into the 7HA power island, where it is co-fired to make the electricity powering the lights in the building they're standing in. Curriculum modules co-developed with CMSD science teachers aligned to Ohio science standards.

  • Energy Discovery Centre field trip program
  • Ohio science standards-aligned curriculum modules
  • CMSD science teacher professional development
  • Great Lakes Science Center co-programming
Tier 2 · High School
CMSD · MC² STEM · John Hay

Two Pathways: Technician Track & Engineering Track

MC² STEM High School, John Hay STEM, and Early College High School are natural feeders. The campus creates two distinct pathways:

Technician Pathway: Junior technician apprenticeships for 10th–12th graders — 10–15 paid hours per week on-site. Students rotate through water treatment operations, electrolyser monitoring, turbine, Mainspring/KARNO genset, and BESS module checks, and control-room data logging. These are entry-level positions with union-negotiated wage scale, structured mentorship from licensed plant operators, and a guaranteed Tri-C interview upon graduation. Burke becomes one of the SWAG program's anchor employers.

Engineering Pathway: AP Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Science co-taught by CMSD teachers and CWRU faculty using Burke plant data as primary source material. A student's AP Chemistry lab assignment might be analysing the purity of hydrogen output from the electrolyser. Dual enrolment via Ohio's College Credit Plus earns Tri-C credit for courses taken on or near Burke.

  • Paid junior technician apprenticeships (10–15 hr/week)
  • AP courses using live plant data as source material
  • SWAG program anchor employer status
  • College Credit Plus dual enrolment with Tri-C
Tier 3 · Community College
Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C)

New Credentials for a New Industry

Tri-C's Workforce Innovation division — Metropolitan Campus 3 km from Burke — partners with the campus to create entirely new Ohio credentials that don't currently exist. The Burke campus creates demand for workers with skills no Ohio college currently certifies:

Electrolyser Technician Certificate: 30-credit, one-year programme combining electrochemistry fundamentals, PEM stack maintenance, water treatment operations, H₂ handling and confined space safety certification, and 200 hours of supervised plant hours at Burke. First programme of its kind in the Great Lakes region. Career starting salary: $55,000–$70,000. Journeyman wages above $80,000 after five years.

  • Electrolyser Technician Certificate (30 credits, 1 year)
  • Turbine & H₂ systems operator credential
  • Water Treatment Technician — Electrolysis Grade
  • H₂ Safety & Handling Certification
  • 200 hours supervised plant time at Burke
  • Starting salary $55–70k · journeyman $80k+
Tier 4 · University
Cleveland State University

Engineering Co-ops & Policy Research

CSU's Energy Policy Center operates the Midwest Hydrogen Center of Excellence — covering hydrogen economy, microgrids, energy storage, electricity markets, and district energy systems. The Burke campus is the infrastructure that validates everything the RHFCC (Renewable Hydrogen Fuel Cell Collaborative, operating out of CSU) has been advocating for. CSU gains a live demonstration facility 15 minutes from its main campus.

Fenn College of Engineering BS students rotate through paid co-op placements at Burke — semester-long rotations counting toward degree requirements. Senior capstone projects tackle live engineering challenges: optimising electrolyser farm dispatch schedules, modelling district heating network thermal losses, designing protection relay settings for the microgrid islanding system.

  • CSU Midwest Hydrogen Center of Excellence anchored at Burke
  • Fenn College co-op rotations (paid, semester-long)
  • Senior capstone projects using live plant data
  • Levin College urban development & public finance research
  • Energy Policy Center hydrogen market research
Tier 5 · Research University
Case Western Reserve University

Frontier Research on a Live Industrial Scale

CWRU's Great Lakes Energy Institute was built on 80 years of electrochemistry leadership — 15 faculty members spanning 5 departments, six Electrochemical Society fellows, researching batteries, fuel cells, PEM membrane development, and electrochemical engineering. CWRU broke ground in October 2024 on a $300 million Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building collocating 60+ principal investigators from engineering, medicine, and sciences working on climate change, sustainable manufacturing, and materials science.

The Burke campus gives CWRU what no university lab can replicate: a full-scale, operating PEM electrolyser farm producing tens of tonnes of hydrogen per day. A PhD student investigating new PEM membrane materials installs test cells directly into the Burke electrolyser farm and collects real performance data under real operating conditions — fouling, pressure cycling, water quality variation — conditions a university lab can only approximate. The DOE awarded CWRU $10.75 million to establish a Breakthrough Electrolytes for Energy Storage research centre.

  • CWRU Clean Energy Research Institute co-operated with Cleveland Clinic
  • Live PEM test cells in operating Burke electrolyser farm
  • $300M new Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Building (Oct 2024)
  • DOE Breakthrough Electrolytes research centre
  • Advanced manufacturing turbine/PEM component R&D
  • Corporate R&D partnerships (high-wage employment anchor)
08
Financial Analysis

$1.2B per year
in revenue at full
operations

Annual Revenue Streams (Stabilized 2034)

Data center wholesale lease (500 MW @ ~$1.6M/MW-yr)~$800M/yr
Green ammonia sales (1,200 t/day @ ~$550/t)~$240M/yr
Green hydrogen sales (180 t/day @ $4/kg)$70M/yr
7HA power island — surplus export + steam/CHP$40M/yr
Research grants & institutional partnerships$15M/yr
Public campus — hotel, retail, events$15M/yr
O₂ sales to Cleveland Clinic + industrial$8M/yr
CHP district heat$6M/yr
City land lease income$5M/yr
TOTAL GROSS REVENUE~$1.2B/yr
Energy core only (ex. data center)~$400M/yr

Capital Cost Breakdown

System / ZoneCapEx EstimatePhaseNotes
Zone 1 — Water intake & treatment$120MPhase 1Intake crib, RO, DI polishing, treatment train
Zone 2 — PEM electrolyser farm (500 MW)$600MPhase 1$700–900/kW declining benchmark; 2029 pricing
Zone 3 — FastOx gasification$380MPhase 2Sierra Energy; 200+ t/day MSW throughput
Zone 4 — GE Vernova 7HA power island (≈500 MW)$650MPhase 11×1 combined cycle; HRSG CHP; H₂ co-fire; SMR-ready
Zone 5 — Haber-Bosch ammonia (1,200 t/day)$550MPhase 2ASU + synthesis loop + storage
Zone 6 — Grid interconnection & substation$95MPhase 1345kV; IEEE 1547; Icebreaker tie-in
Zone 7 — LEEDCo offshore wind tie-in$45MPhase 2Onshore landing + transformer yard
Zone 8 — Marine H₂ bunkering pier$280MPhase 4IMO-grade; Army Corps bulkhead; cryo NH₃
Zone 9 — H₂ & NH₃ storage field$310MPhase 2350 bar tubes; cryo tanks; 72-hr buffer
Zone 10 — Data center (500 MW, 1 GW-ready)$5.5BPhase 1–3~1.5M sq ft; lake cooling; DLC; tenant-financed
Zone 11 — Public lakefront campus$180MPhase 3Energy Discovery Centre; hotel; promenade
Zone 12 — Research & education campus$220MPhase 3CWRU/CSU/Cleveland Clinic institute; labs
Site civil — piles, cap, security wall, SE gateway$150MPhase 1Dredge-cell cap; deep piles; wall + buffer; no airfield work
SMR reserve parcel (future 1 GW upgrade)FuturePhase 4+Pre-graded; NRC track; separately financed
Owner's costs, soft costs & contingency (15%)~$530MAllArchitecture, permitting, project management
TOTAL PROJECT CAPEX~$9B2029–2035Fully-loaded with 500 MW DC + 7HA; ~$1.1B energy core

Financing Stack

🏛️ DOE Midwest Clean Hydrogen Hub grants Federal grant $200M
🏦 DOE Loan Programs Office (Title XVII) Federal loan @ 3.5% $250M
📋 IRA §45V H₂ Production Tax Credit ($3/kg) 10-yr tax credit stream $47.5M/yr
🏘️ Ohio state clean energy funds (JobsOhio + ODSA) State grant/loan $75M
🏟️ Haslam Sports Group / private lakefront pledge Private commitment $100M
🌆 City of Cleveland land contribution (lease value) In-kind / 99-yr lease $60M
📊 Revenue bonds (city-backed, tax-exempt) Muni bonds @ 4.5% / 30yr $200M
💼 Private infrastructure equity IRR-based equity return $185M
TOTAL ENERGY-CORE FINANCING (data center + power separately financed) Core campus only ~$1.07B

Return Metrics

MetricValueScenario
Simple payback (productive assets, ex-DC)~6.8 yearsBase case, $4/kg H₂
Simple payback with IRA §45V credit~3.8 years$4/kg + $3/kg PTC = $7/kg effective
Project IRR (20-year model, ex-DC)8.5–10.5%Range reflects H₂ price & ramp timing
Unlevered NPV @ 7% discount rate~$180–240MAfter full federal grant netting
DSCR (stabilized 2034)1.70×Above 1.35× lender covenant minimum
DSCR with §45V credit3.51×Dramatically de-risks debt service
EBITDA margin (stabilized, ex-DC)~28%~$44.5M/yr on $157.5M/yr revenue
City annual land lease income$5M/yrPerpetual; city retains fee interest
City annual PILOT revenue~$8–12M/yrPayments-in-lieu-of-taxes on improvements
Annual debt service (DOE + bonds)$26.2M/yr$13.8M DOE + $12.4M revenue bonds
Net cash flow after debt service (stabilized)~$18.3M/yrGrowing ~2.5%/yr with revenue
09
Policy & Federal Strategy

A far more
compelling
federal ask

Every previous Burke proposal asked Congress and the FAA to close the airport — the slowest, least certain approval in the entire project. This plan removes that ask entirely. By building only on the closed NE dredge-disposal peninsula and keeping the main runway and Part 139 operations intact, the campus sidesteps the closure fight while still qualifying for the same federal clean-energy programs — now joined by data-center/AI and advanced-nuclear (SMR) pathways.

Federal Alignment

DOE H2Hub designationMidwest hub anchor site
Hub funding per designation$500M–$1.25B
IRA §45V H₂ PTC$3/kg for 10 years
DOE / NRC advanced nuclearSMR reserve pathway
EPA GHG Reduction Fund$27B national pool
DOE Title XVII LPO$250M low-rate loan
FAA closure requiredNone — airport stays open
Airport operationsFully preserved (Part 139)

Ohio Opportunity Zone Status

QOZ designationSite confirmed eligible
OZ capital gains deferral5–7 year deferral
OZ capital gains exclusionUp to 15% step-up
10-yr hold exclusion100% gain exclusion
Private equity attractionHigh — tax-advantaged return
JobsOhio eligibilityConfirmed
ODSA clean energyEligible — $75M est.

Political Support Landscape

Mayor's officeNo closure needed — faster path
County Exec RonayneCongressional lobbying
Haslam commitment$250M+ state/federal/private
City Council concernJobs, revenue, not parks
This proposal answers~$1.2B/yr + 1,200 jobs
Construction impact$600M one-time economic
Annual tax revenue5× current contribution
"The campus would qualify for Department of Energy Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub funding (the Midwest has a designated H2Hub), IRA investment tax credits for electrolysis and clean power, and EPA greenhouse gas reduction funds. The campus would attract an order of magnitude more federal investment than any previous Burke proposal — DOE hydrogen hub funding alone runs to hundreds of millions per designated hub."
10
Development Timeline

2029 to 2035.
Six years
to transform Cleveland.

2029
Secured Site Prep · Ground Breaks (Airport Stays Open)
No airport closure required — the runway keeps flying throughout. Work is confined to the NE dredge-disposal peninsula: security wall and 100-ft buffer along the airfield boundary, the SE secured gateway, dredge-cell capping, and deep-pile surveys. Zone 1 water intake goes in — the foundational infrastructure everything connects to. Zone 6 grid interconnection begins. GE Vernova 7HA turbines and HRSGs are ordered (long-lead). The data center Phase 1 pad is graded. Federal H2Hub grant agreement executed; hyperscaler anchor lease negotiated.
Airport stays openSecurity wall + SE gatewayWater intake7HA long-lead orderH2Hub grant
2030
Energy Core Construction
Zone 4 7HA power island erection — turbines, HRSGs and switchyard; first natural-gas commissioning to energize data center Phase 1. Zone 2 PEM electrolyser farm begins major construction. First electrolyser stacks arrive. Zone 3 FastOx gasification steel erection. Zone 5 Haber-Bosch synthesis loop structural work. DOE Title XVII loan first draw. Data center Phase 1 (100 MW) fit-out begins. First Tri-C electrolyser technician cohort begins training.
7HA island erectionPEM farm constructionFastOx erectionData center 100 MW fit-outTri-C cohort 1
2031
First Hydrogen Production · 25% Operations
The campus produces hydrogen from Lake Erie water for the first time; 25% of full PEM capacity online. The 7HA turbines begin co-firing an H₂/NG blend, lowering carbon intensity. FastOx gasification commissioned — Cleveland's first MSW delivery arrives. H₂ storage field (Zone 9) first vessels pressurized. Zone 8 marine bunkering pier construction begins on the north bulkhead. Research campus breaks ground. CMSD junior technician apprenticeship program launches. Data center Phase 1 (100 MW) opens for the anchor tenant.
First H₂ from Lake ErieFastOx commissioned7HA H₂ co-fire beginsData center 100 MWCMSD apprenticeships
2032
Industrial Scale · 60% Operations
PEM farm at 60% capacity — approximately 108 t H₂/day. Haber-Bosch ammonia plant begins production; first green ammonia deliveries to Ohio agriculture. NH₃ pipeline to the NE Ohio industrial corridor under construction. Data center Phase 2 (250 MW) energized as the 7HA island reaches full ≈500 MW with a rising H₂ co-fire fraction. Research institute buildings occupied; first CWRU PhD cohort begins Burke testbed research. 700+ people employed on campus. Steam/CHP district heat online.
Ammonia production beginsData center 250 MW7HA at full ≈500 MWCWRU research instituteDistrict heat online
2033
Public Campus Opens · 90% Operations
Lakefront promenade opens to the public along the peninsula's north edge — free access to this stretch of Lake Erie shoreline. Energy Discovery Centre opens; Great Lakes Science Center partnership activates. Hotel opens. Marine bunkering pier opens; first Great Lakes cargo ship takes on green hydrogen. Data center Phase 3 (500 MW) build-out underway. NH₃ pipeline operational. SMR reserve parcel enters NRC pre-application. 1,000+ campus employees.
Public lakefront opensEnergy Discovery CentreMarine pier opensData center 500 MW buildSMR NRC pre-app
2035
Full Operations 🎉
The entire NE Energy Campus is fully operational — and the airport still flies. Data center at 500 MW IT load (reserved to 1 GW), leased to a hyperscale anchor. GE Vernova 7HA power island delivering ≈500 MW with a rising green-H₂ co-fire fraction and full CHP steam/heat recovery. SMR reserve parcel pre-permitted for the 1 GW upgrade. 500 MW PEM producing 180 t H₂/day from Lake Erie. FastOx converting Cleveland's MSW to zero-landfill syngas. Haber-Bosch synthesising 1,200 t NH₃/day. Marine pier bunkering the Great Lakes fleet. 1,200+ permanent jobs; 5,000-student CMSD→CWRU pipeline. Total gross revenue ~$1.2B/year including data center, ~$400M/year for the energy core. The City earns $5M/year in land lease plus $8–12M/year in PILOT — forever.
1,200+ permanent jobs500 MW data center7HA + SMR-ready 1 GWAirport preservedFull CMSD→CWRU pipeline$1.2B/yr revenue