A gigawatt-scale, off-grid, natural gas-powered data center campus could be coming to Alberta, Canada.

The town of Olds this week announced that Synapse Data Center Inc. has proposed a 1GW data center development. The campus, according to the company and filings with the Alberta government, would total ten 100MW buildings and some two million sq ft (185,805 sqm) of space.

Olds is a town in central Alberta within Mountain View County. It is approximately 61 km (38 mi) south of Red Deer and 90 km (56 mi) north of Calgary.

The campus could see investments totaling CA$10 billion (US$7.3bn), though there were no details of how it would be funded.

The first phase could be ready by mid-2026. The facility is set to be powered by a closed-cycle natural gas system and not connected to the local energy grid. The site would utilize a closed-loop design for its cooling.

Olds was reportedly selected due to its direct access to natural gas infrastructure, fiber connectivity, and location between Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer.

“Olds was the clear choice for this $10 billion investment because of the community’s proactive vision and the exceptional responsiveness of Invest Olds and the Town of Olds,” said Jason van Gaal, CEO of Synapse, “This collaboration allowed us to advance at the speed required by global technology timelines while leveraging a strategic location between Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer that provides unparalleled access to a skilled workforce and robust supply chains. By creating over 1,000 long-term, high-skilled technology jobs and contributing significantly to the local tax base, we are ensuring that the benefits of the global AI boom are felt directly here in Olds.”

Olds has previously announced a partnership with Data District Inc., a developer of modular, scalable data centers that colocate with energy assets. The company, a division of Swiss-based manager Alcral AG, is expected to launch its own campus in Olds in mid-2026. That development could also reach 1GW, largely powered via natural gas.

“Olds is proud to be considered for what could become one of the most significant digital infrastructure investments in Canada,” said Dan Daley, Mayor of Olds. “This is a major milestone for our community and will offer many wonderful benefits – from jobs to taxes."

Founded late last year, the Olds campus would be Synapse’s first project. Van Gaal’s previous venture, Root Data Center, was acquired by Compass Datacenters in 2019. Compass took over two data centers in Montreal.

“Olds is increasingly being recognized as a community that can move from opportunity to action,” said Sandra Blyth, economic development manager, Invest Olds. “Global technology investments move quickly, and our role with Invest Olds is to support early-stage coordination, help advance project readiness efficiently, and ensure the right partners are at the table, while keeping transparency and community alignment at the center of the process.”