Valor Energy has acquired a data center site in Ohio.

The Nasdaq-listed firm announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire all of the outstanding equity interests of the company that holds an 18MW operational computing center in Youngstown, Ohio, for $3.6 million.

The site is located at 1911 Logan Avenue, Youngstown, Mahoning County, some 50 miles east of Akron and 75 miles (120km) northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The existing computing center is complete and totals approximately 30,890 sq ft (2,870 sqm) with 18MW of apparent power capacity under an existing 23kV utility interconnection with Ohio Edison.

Valor aims to convert the site into an AI data center, which the company said will require additional design, construction, equipment, and permitting work.

“This agreement is an important step in Valor Energy’s AI data center strategy,” said Dave Nichols, strategic advisor to Valor Energy Inc. “The Youngstown site includes 18 megavolt-amperes of power capacity that we believe is already approved and energized, which can be difficult to secure in this industry. We believe this reduces, though does not eliminate, the time needed to pursue AI computing capacity at the site, subject to completion of the acquisition and further development work.”

Full details of the acquired facility were not shared. The site is within a complex of industrial buildings previously occupied by Commercial Metal Forming and Parker Hannifin Corporation.

Formerly known as Senmiao Technology, Valor Energy previously operated automobile transaction and related services businesses and is now looking to move into digital infrastructure.

Founded in 2018, Senmiao has traditionally provided automobile transaction and related services, including automobile sales, financing, and leasing in China. It previously owned the XXTX ride-hailing platform in China, but sold the unit in 2024.

The company has partnered with Elio Energy and Emergence Power on a planned data center project in Duchesne County, Utah, that could total more than 1.2GW at full build-out. The group is targeting an initial 100MW powered by gas, solar, and battery storage.