The company said Tuesday it broke ground near Fox Creek on a site that will combine a 101 megawatt natural gas-fired power plant with a data center offering about 100 MW of computing capacity. The project represents a $155 million investment, or about C$214 million, and is expected to be energized in the second quarter of 2027.
That structure addresses one of the central tensions surrounding new data-center development: how to add large, power-hungry computing loads without worsening grid constraints or shifting costs to other customers. In several US power markets, including PJM, rapid data-center growth has become a flashpoint as grid operators and regulators debate whether large loads should be required to bring new generation or accept curtailment obligations.
The 7.7-hectare site, located about 1.5 kilometers from Fox Creek in the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16, is expected to create about 300 construction jobs and 30 permanent positions. Bitdeer said it will prioritize Alberta-based contractors and local hiring for operational roles.
The company said the facility will use a closed-loop dry-cooling system with no water withdrawal from nearby bodies of water. It also plans to deploy a system to capture and utilize carbon dioxide emissions from on-site power generation, which Bitdeer said is intended to reduce the project’s carbon intensity and offset applicable carbon obligations under Canadian regulations.
“Today’s groundbreaking marks the beginning of our long-term presence in Canada,” Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jihan Wu said in the statement. He said Alberta and Fox Creek offer a combination of regulatory confidence, energy resources, openness to industrial investment and skilled labor.
