Anthropic Data Centre Begins Pre-Construction in Nova Scotia

Land clearing is underway near Port Hawkesbury, Cape Breton, for a large AI data centre that Anthropic will lease. The site is at the Point Tupper industrial park in Nova Scotia, Canada. The goal is to pour foundations before winter, according to CBC News reporting from Oct 16, 2026.

EverWind Fuels will build and own the facility. Anthropic will lease the first phase for at least 20 years. The project has two phases. Phase one is online by the end of 2027 at 95 megawatts. Phase two is online in 2028 at 325 megawatts. Total capacity is 420 megawatts. Nova Scotia’s current total generation capacity is about 3000 megawatts.

Financing and Power

EverWind is raising 8 billion US dollars in private capital for the data centre project. It is also raising 2 billion US dollars for four planned onshore wind farms. Combined, that is about 10 billion US dollars.

Anthropic said in a news release the data centre “will power Claude models and serve growing demand from Canadian and global customers.” Claude is Anthropic’s AI assistant.

The companies say they will pay for all upgrades Nova Scotia’s power system needs. The independent grid operator did not directly answer whether the grid has enough capacity. An EverWind official said they have been assured at least phase one has capacity.

The four wind farms will eventually support the data centre’s power. But initially, it will run mainly on grid power.

Community and Political Support

Attendees at the site included Premier Tim Houston, federal MP Kody Blois, and Richmond County warden Lois Landry. Their presence signals political backing for the project.

EverWind president Trent Vichie said: “This is investment that is in the ground here, supporting Nova Scotians, not only its energy economy but its knowledge economy as well.”

A community benefits program worth tens of millions of dollars was promised. No specific number was given. A Mi’kmaw community coalition led by Membertou First Nation is negotiating a 9 percent equity stake in the project.

Water and Cooling

The data centre uses a closed-loop water-glycol cooling system. Phase one needs 100,000 litres of water per day. Both phases together need 500,000 litres per day.

Water will be drawn from Landrie Lake. The lake is approved for 34 million litres per day. The project would use about 1 percent of the safe yield.

Site Sharing and Criticism

The data centre shares its site with another EverWind project. That project is a planned green hydrogen and ammonia facility.

Not everyone supports the plan. Thomas Arnason McNeil of the Ecology Action Centre wants quantified impacts on ratepayers and the environment before endorsing it. That is a direct criticism from an environmental group.

Both companies signed Ottawa’s “responsible data centre development principles”. That is a non-binding guideline, not a legal requirement.

Reporter Context

Reporter Taryn Grant of CBC News notes this project is among the larger recent Canadian data centre announcements. However, Alberta’s Wonder Valley first phase exceeds 1 gigawatt. That means this Nova Scotia project is not the largest in Canada.

The pre-construction phase is just the beginning. Foundations before winter is the immediate target. After that, construction will take about a year for phase one. The full build-out runs through 2028.

What This Means

This is a significant infrastructure project for Nova Scotia. The 420 megawatts total is about 14 percent of the province’s current generation capacity. That is a large load addition for a small grid.

The companies’ commitment to pay for grid upgrades addresses a key question. But the grid operator’s lack of a direct answer on capacity is notable. Phase one capacity is assured, according to EverWind. Phase two is less clear.

The water use is modest relative to the lake’s approved yield. The closed-loop system reduces consumption compared to some data centre designs. Still, 500,000 litres per day is a real draw.

The community benefits program and the Mi’kmaw equity stake are notable. They suggest the project has local engagement beyond just jobs. But the exact value of the benefits program remains undisclosed.

The criticism from the Ecology Action Centre is a reminder that environmental and ratepayer impacts are not fully quantified yet. The non-binding federal principles do not force specific performance.

Bottom Line

Anthropic is committing to a long-term lease for AI computing capacity in Atlantic Canada. EverWind is taking the construction and ownership risk. The first phase should be running by the end of 2027. That is a little over a year from this report’s date.

The project will test whether Nova Scotia’s grid can handle large industrial loads. It will also test whether the promised community benefits materialize. For now, the work is on the ground, literally.