AI company Anthropic has been named as the end user of a data center being developed by EverWind Fuels at its Point Tupper plant in Nova Scotia, Canada.

As reported by CBC, preconstruction work has begun on the site located just outside Port Hawkesbury in Cape Breton.

Anthropic has signed a 20-year lease with EverWind for the facility, which will be built and operated by the green power provider.

According to EverWind, the data center campus is expected to see $10bn in private investment, including $8bn directly for the data center development and operation, and $2bn for advancing the company's onshore wind portfolio in Nova Scotia.

EverWind only named its customer as a "leading frontier AI developer" that will lease capacity from the "initial phase," set to offer 95MW of capacity by late 2027. The campus is then aimed to expand by a further 325MW in 2028.

Point Tupper will be Anthropic's first known data center capacity in Canada.

“Point Tupper has supported industry in the Strait Region for more than 50 years. Today’s announcement represents major new investment in Nova Scotia’s digital and energy infrastructure and highlights the role Nova Scotians can play in driving Canada’s renewed economic ambitions, marking a new chapter for the site and creating opportunities for rural  Nova Scotia,” said Trent Vichie, founder and CEO of EverWind.

“For decades, Nova Scotians have helped build major projects across Canada, often leaving home to find well-paying work. With this investment, we’re creating more opportunities for  people to find jobs and build their careers at home in rural Nova Scotia.”

Plans for a data center at the site first emerged earlier this month.

The Point Tupper Green Fuels project will see an existing traditional fuel terminal expanded into a clean hydrogen and ammonia facility and will be powered by EverWind's wind farm developments.

The first phase will include the Bear Lake Wind Project, Windy Ridge Wind Project, Kmtnuk Wind Project, and the Upper Afton Wind Project, which will all connect directly to the provincial power grid. Phase 2 (Guysborough Wind Projects) includes the Setapuktuk Wind Project, Wind Farm 2, and Wind Farm 3 projects in Guysborough County. These Phase 2 wind farm developments will connect to the Point Tupper Green Fuels Project via the Strait Crossing Transmission Line Project, an overhead transmission line that will cross the Strait of Canso.

The campus also includes several hundred megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery storage to support the facility and help manage demand on Nova Scotia’s electricity grid.

“This announcement is a powerful vote of confidence in Nova Scotia and our future. A private investment of more than $10 billion, the largest in our province’s history, has the potential to create thousands of jobs, strengthen rural economies, and position Nova Scotia as a leader in the growing digital and clean energy economy. What makes this opportunity especially important is the commitment to protecting ratepayers, safeguarding local resources, and ensuring communities share in the benefits. This is the kind of responsible growth that helps build a stronger, more prosperous future for Nova Scotians," said Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia.

EverWind is backed by asset manager Nuveen via its energy infrastructure credit unit.

The energy firm acquired the Point Tupper fuel terminal from NuStar Energy in 2022. The site was once part of British American Oil's Gulf Oil Refinery that was built and closed down in the 1970s.

The 150MW coal-powered Point Tupper Generating Station is also located nearby. Opened in 1973 and originally designed to run on oil from the refinery, Nova Scotia Power is set to convert the coal plant to run on natural gas from 2029.

Nova Scotia is located on the east coast of Canada. According to Datacenters.com, the region currently has 12 data centers.