Mara Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: MARA) has agreed to acquire a 1,200-acre powered industrial site in Matagorda County, Texas, from HIF USA LLC, giving the Bitcoin miner and digital infrastructure developer access to as much as 2 gigawatts of future grid capacity as it expands into high-performance computing and artificial intelligence data centres.
Announced on Thursday, the site sits about 90 miles southwest of Houston. It is expected to provide up to an initial one gigawatt of electricity by October 2027. The available capacity could increase to two gigawatts by April 2028 as additional infrastructure comes online.
MARA plans to develop the property with Starwood Digital Ventures through their previously announced partnership. The companies intend to build a large digital infrastructure campus capable of supporting high-performance computing workloads alongside flexible computing operations, including Bitcoin mining.
Additionally, the site has already attracted interest from potential high-performance computing tenants. MARA said it expects the combination of AI computing and Bitcoin mining to improve the long-term value of the project.
HIF USA’s parent company, HIF Global, develops large-scale facilities that recycle captured carbon dioxide into synthetic fuels for existing engines. The company said it will continue advancing its sustainable fuels projects at other locations while remaining involved in the Texas development.
Under the agreement, HIF will retain a minority ownership stake in the project after MARA signs a lease with a high-performance computing tenant. Consequently, the fuels developer will continue participating in the site’s future growth while unlocking value from the land sale.
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Developers compete for sites with grid connections
The acquisition significantly expands MARA’s long-term power pipeline. Upon full energization, the site is expected to increase the company’s potential generating capacity to approximately 4.8 gigawatts across its portfolio, including the anticipated completion of its previously announced acquisition of Long Ridge Energy & Power.
Furthermore, reliable access to large amounts of electricity has become increasingly valuable as artificial intelligence and cloud computing companies search for locations to build new data centres. Many developers now compete for sites that already have grid connections or approved power infrastructure because those assets can reduce construction delays.
MARA chairman and chief executive officer Fred Thiel said the acquisition fits the company’s strategy of securing large-scale infrastructure that can support both high-performance computing and Bitcoin mining. He added that power availability is becoming one of the industry’s most valuable assets as demand for digital infrastructure rises.
Thiel also said the Matagorda County project strengthens MARA’s long-term development pipeline. He expects the partnership to maximize the value of the site’s electricity.
Meanwhile, HIF USA chief executive officer Renato Pereira said the transaction strengthens the company’s long-term relationship with Matagorda County. He said construction has received notice to proceed on the switchyard that will connect the site to the electrical grid.
Pereira added that HIF remains committed to its advanced fuels strategy. The company will continue developing sustainable fuel facilities at other Texas locations.
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Development could create thousands of construction jobs
Phased construction of the digital infrastructure campus is expected to begin in 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. Additionally, MARA believes its experience managing large power loads, combined with Starwood Digital Ventures’ expertise in developing data centres and HIF’s regional presence, positions the project for long-term growth.
MARA said the development could create thousands of construction jobs as well as permanent full-time positions after completion. The company also noted that it has already invested more than USD$1.2 billion in Texas. It further intends to make significant additional investments as construction advances.
The transaction reflects a broader shift among Bitcoin mining companies toward diversified digital infrastructure. Furthermore, many operators now seek to serve AI and enterprise computing customers because those businesses require the same power resources.
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