Bitdeer (NASDAQ: BTDR) has begun construction on a vertically integrated energy and computing facility in Alberta, a project that reflects how Bitcoin miners are increasingly combining data centers with dedicated power generation as the demands of AI workloads reshape the power and digital infrastructure markets.
This article first appeared on The Energy Mag. The original article can be found here. The Energy Mag (formerly The Miner Mag) provides news, data and insight on the nexus of energy, computing and markets.
The company announced Tuesday that it has broken ground on a site near Fox Creek that will combine a 101-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant with a data center that will provide about 100 megawatts of computing power. The project will cost $155 million, or approximately C$214 million, and is expected to be operational in the second quarter of 2027.
Bitdeer said the facility will initially support Bitcoin mining while maintaining the flexibility to host future high-performance computing workloads, including AI applications. This positioning is notable as miners seek to maintain short-term cash flow from Bitcoin production while designing new sites with sufficient power density and infrastructure options to appeal to AI and HPC tenants.
The Fox Creek project is being developed under Alberta’s captive generation framework. The data center is designed to be powered directly by an on-site gas plant behind a fence, rather than being powered from the grid. The power plant will remain connected to the Alberta Power System Operator’s grid through an approved 99 MW interconnect, allowing the site to reduce computing workloads and send power back to the grid during times of peak demand or system stress.
This structure addresses one of the core tensions surrounding new target=”_blank”>Bitcoin miners, and this model serves two purposes. Mining offers ready-to-deploy flexible loads that can use available generation capacity from day one on. At the same time, the underlying infrastructure can be designed for higher-value compute use cases if AI demands, fiber access, cooling requirements, and customer contracts align.
The project also deepens Bitdeer’s exposure to North American energy infrastructure as it expands beyond its role as a Bitcoin miner and mining equipment manufacturer. Bitdeer acquired the fully licensed and permitted Fox Creek site in February 2025 from a project originally developed by Kiwetinohk Energy Corp. and approved by the Alberta Public Utilities Commission. The company said the site is now under construction after years of permitting, engineering, environmental reviews, regulatory approvals and consultation with local governments and First Nations.
The 7.7-hectare site, located approximately 1.5 kilometers from Fox Creek in Municipal District Greenview No. 16, is expected to create approximately 300 construction jobs and 30 permanent jobs. Bitdeer said it will prioritize local hiring for Alberta-based contractors and operational roles.
The company said the facility will use a closed-loop dry cooling system that does not draw water from nearby bodies of water. The company also plans to install a system to capture and utilize carbon dioxide emissions from on-site power generation, which Bitdia said is intended to reduce the project’s carbon intensity and offset applicable carbon emissions obligations under Canadian regulations.
“Today’s groundbreaking ceremony marks the beginning of our long-term presence in Canada,” Chairman and CEO Jihan Wu said in a statement. He said Alberta and Fox Creek offer a combination of regulatory reliability, energy resources, openness to industrial investment and a skilled workforce.
The project comes as Alberta seeks to attract AI title=”Learn About Gas” target=”_blank”>gas resources, a liberalized electricity market, and an industrial development framework. Premier Daniel Smith said in the announcement that the province’s gas supply and power industry capabilities make Alberta a competitive destination for AI data centres.
For Bitdeer, the start of construction transforms Fox Creek from a permitted power asset to an actual development project. The company’s next challenge is to execute. The goal is to bring gas plants and data centers online by 2027, maintain environmental and regulatory compliance, and prove that mining-first sites can remain technologically flexible enough to capture future AI and HPC demands.
This article first appeared on The Energy Mag. The original article can be found here. The Energy Mag (formerly The Miner Mag) provides news, data and insight on the nexus of energy, computing and markets.
