Anthropic will lease the first phase of a planned massive data centre near Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, for at least 20 years. CBC reported that EverWind Fuels is developing the facility at Point Tupper on Cape Breton Island, where Anthropic says it will power Claude models for Canadian and global customers.
CBC’s report says EverWind plans to build the project in two stages. The first phase is planned at 95 megawatts and is expected online by the end of 2027. A second phase of 325 megawatts is planned for 2028, bringing the stated total to 420 megawatts.
Why Nova Scotia Will Host Massive Data-Centre Capacity
The proposed facility would be large against Nova Scotia’s current electrical generating capacity, which is close to 3,000 megawatts. EverWind and Anthropic said they will pay for any upgrades required to the province’s electricity system. The Independent Energy System Operator studies new projects before allowing grid connections, but it did not tell CBC whether the grid can accommodate this project.
EverWind officials said they had been assured there is capacity for the first phase. The company’s four proposed wind farms would eventually support the data centre’s electricity needs. Existing provincial grid generation would provide the primary supply initially.
The development brings together a long-term computing lease and a substantial energy project. EverWind said it is raising $8 billion in private capital for the data centre and another $2 billion for four planned onshore wind farms. The company said the wind-farm plans remain unchanged and the data centre would share a site with its proposed green hydrogen and ammonia facility.
Land clearing is underway, and officials hope to have foundations poured before winter. The company also said a consortium of Mi’kmaw communities, fronted by Membertou First Nation, is negotiating a nine per cent equity stake. A community benefit program worth tens of millions of dollars is promised, though EverWind has not provided a specific amount. Local communities and Anthropic would consult on how that money is spent.
Power, Water and Community Questions
Electricity supply is among the questions that remain. The grid operator’s review is part of the connection process, while the project’s developers say they will cover required upgrades. EverWind has also described a closed-loop water-glycol system. Its preliminary estimate is an average of 100,000 litres per day for the first phase and 500,000 litres per day for both phases.
The company says it would draw water from nearby Landrie Lake. The provincial regulator has approved the Landrie Lake Water Utility to withdraw 34 million litres daily. EverWind’s estimate for both phases would be about one per cent of that approved safe withdrawal volume.
Nova Scotia’s Ecology Action Centre has not endorsed the project. Policy advocate Thomas Arnason McNeil said analysis is needed to quantify effects on ratepayers and understand environmental impacts. He said the group is reserving judgment while calling for thorough impact assessments.
The debate connects to wider questions about computing facilities. Smartech Daily has also reported on a city-university data-centre partnership, a separate example of how organizations arrange computing infrastructure. Its report on AI data-centre approvals covers government efforts to manage infrastructure development. Readers can also see its earlier discussion of data centres and AI energy use.
EverWind and Anthropic have signed Ottawa’s responsible data-centre principles, which are non-binding guidelines released last month. Federal and provincial governments say they expect local benefits, limited environmental impacts and water use, and no resulting power-rate increases. The next concrete steps described by officials are the planned foundation work and the grid review required before connection.
