一座为人工智能巨头Anthropic提供算力的大型数据中心正在位于新斯科舍省布雷顿角岛霍克斯伯里港外进行前期施工。
A massive data centre to provide computing power for the artificial intelligence giant Anthropic is under pre-construction just outside Port Hawkesbury in Cape Breton.
EverWind Fuels将建设并拥有该设施，而Anthropic将租赁第一阶段，租期至少20年。Anthropic在新闻稿中表示，该数据中心“将为Claude模型提供算力，并满足来自加拿大及全球客户日益增长的需求。”EverWind由澳大利亚裔美国私募股权资深人士特伦特·维奇（Trent Vichie）领导，此前曾确认其拥有数据中心雄心，但未透露其他细节。周五，EverWind公布了更多计划细节。
EverWind Fuels will build and own the facility, while Anthropic will lease the first phase for a term of at least 20 years. Anthropic said in a news release the data centre "will power Claude models and serve growing demand from Canadian and global customers." EverWind, headed by Australian-American private equity veteran Trent Vichie, had previously confirmed it has data centre ambitions, but said little else. On Friday, EverWind released more information about its plans.
公司表示，将分两阶段建设该设施，第一阶段计划于2027年底投入运营，第二阶段则在2028年。
The company said it will build the facility in two stages, with the first phase to come online by the end of 2027 and the second in 2028.
第一阶段容量为95兆瓦，第二阶段为325兆瓦，总计420兆瓦。新斯科舍省目前的电力发电容量接近3000兆瓦。
The first phase will have a capacity of 95 megawatts and the second, 325 megawatts, for a total of 420 megawatts. Nova Scotia’s current electrical generating capacity is close to 3,000 megawatts.
EverWind和Anthropic表示，将承担新斯科舍省电力系统所需升级的全部费用。
EverWind and Anthropic said they will pay for any required upgrades to Nova Scotia’s electricity system.
EverWind正为该项目筹资80亿美元。EverWind表示，正在筹集80亿美元私募资本以资助该项目，并额外筹集20亿美元用于其计划建设的四个陆上风电场。
EverWind raising $8 billion for project EverWind said it is raising $8 billion in private capital to fund the project and an additional $2 billion for four of the onshore wind farms it is planning to build.
“这笔投资扎根于此地，将支持新斯科舍省居民，不仅推动其能源经济，也促进其知识经济发展，”维奇在塔珀角工业园区的宣布会上说道，该园区正是该设施的建设地点。
"This is investment that is in the ground here, supporting Nova Scotians, not only its energy economy but its knowledge economy as well," Vichie said at an announcement in Point Tupper, the industrial park where the facility is to be built.
土地清理工作正在进行中，官员表示希望在冬季到来前完成基础浇筑。
Land clearing is underway and officials said they hope to have foundations poured before winter.
EverWind的四个风电场最终将支持数据中心的用电需求，但省级电网现有发电能力将作为初期主要供电来源。
EverWind's four wind farms would eventually support the data centre’s electricity needs, but existing generation on the provincial grid would be the primary supply to begin.
独立能源系统运营商负责管理省级电网，它告诉加拿大广播公司新闻，在允许新项目接入电网之前，它会研究所有新项目，以确保电网能够承受这些项目。它没有具体回答是否有容量接入这个数据中心，尽管EverWind官员表示，他们已获保证至少第一阶段有容量。
The Independent Energy System Operator, which manages the provincial grid, told CBC News it studies all new projects to ensure the grid can handle them, before allowing them to connect. It did not answer specifically whether there is capacity to connect this data centre, although EverWind officials said they've been assured there is capacity, at least for phase 1.
Anthropic并未参加EverWind周五的发布会，Vichie最初对自己正在与哪家人工智能公司合作守口如瓶。Anthropic当天晚些时候发布了新闻稿。
Anthropic was not at EverWind's Friday announcement and Vichie was initially mum about which AI company he was partnering with. Anthropic issued a news release later in the day.
但EverWind在其活动中确实有大量支持者到场。各级政府的政客们到场称赞该项目。
But EverWind did have a large contingent of supporters at its event. Politicians from every level of government were on hand to praise the project.
新斯科舍省省长蒂姆·休斯顿感谢Vichie为新斯科舍带来如此巨额资金，并表示这表明了“我们省份可能实现的事情”。“请不要停下，继续前进，我们将在这里支持你，”他对EverWind首席执行官说道。
Premier Tim Houston thanked Vichie for bringing such a large sum of money to Nova Scotia, and said it demonstrates "what is possible in our province." "Please don't stop, keep moving, we'll be here to support you in that," he said, directing his remarks to the EverWind CEO.
国王-汉茨选区众议员科迪·布卢瓦，他同时也是总理的议会秘书，表示该数据中心符合自由党政府的优先事项。“今天是我们如何建设更强大的加拿大的一个例子，”他说。
Kings-Hants MP Kody Blois, who is parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, said the data centre aligns with the Liberal government's priorities. "Today is an example of how we're building a stronger Canada," he said.
里士满县郡长洛伊斯·兰德里指出，最近几周社区内一直存在一些怀疑，因为人们一直在猜测该项目的具体细节，但她说在了解更多信息后，她感到乐观。
Richmond County Warden Lois Landry noted there has been some skepticism in the community in recent weeks as people have been speculating about the project's specifics, but she said she feels optimistic after learning more information.
“我们听说可能会有施工和长期就业机会，对当地企业的机遇以及可能支持未来增长的基础设施投资，”她说。
"We're hearing about potential construction and long-term employment, opportunities for local businesses and infrastructure investment that could support future growth," she said.
EverWind一直在尝试在新斯科舍开发可再生能源项目多年。它表示这些计划保持不变。
EverWind has been trying to develop renewable energy projects in Nova Scotia for several years. It says those plans remain unchanged.
该数据中心将建在EverWind另一个提议项目——绿色氢氨设施的同一地点。
The data centre is to be built at the same site as one of EverWind’s other proposed projects — a green hydrogen and ammonia facility.
数据中心争议 数据中心已成为加拿大各地的焦点，尤其是那些为人工智能提供动力的数据中心，因为它们可能占用巨大空间，并需要大量能源和水用于冷却。人们对人工智能可能对就业造成的影响以及对人类存在构成风险的严峻警告也导致一些人表示反对。
Data centre controversies Data centres have become a flashpoint across Canada, especially those that power AI, because they can have huge footprints and require vast amounts of energy and water for cooling. Concerns about AI’s potential impacts on jobs and dire warnings about risks to human existence also have some people pushing back.
一些规模更大的数据中心项目也在提出，包括阿尔伯塔省的奇谷数据中心——其第一阶段计划容量超过1吉瓦——但该项目仍属于加拿大最近公布的较大型设施之一。
There are some proposed data centres that would dwarf this one in size, including the Wonder Valley data centre in Alberta — the first phase of which is meant to be more than a gigawatt — but this project is still on the larger end of facilities that have been recently announced in Canada.
EverWind和Anthropic已签署渥太华负责任数据中心发展原则 — — 联邦政府上个月发布的一套非约束性指南。
EverWind and Anthropic have signed on to Ottawa’s responsible data centre development principles — a set of non-binding guidelines the federal government released last month.
休斯顿最近也提出了类似指南。两级政府均表示，他们期望任何数据中心都能带来当地效益，对环境影响降至最低，用水量降至最低，并且不会导致电价出现尖峰。
Houston recently laid out similar guidelines. Both levels of government say they expect any data centre to have local benefits, minimal environmental impact and minimal water use, and for there to be no resulting power rate spikes.
“我们赞赏联邦和省级政府为负责任发展设定了高标准，”维奇在新闻稿中表示。“我们将继续与社区合作，确保我们的工作符合他们的期望。”EverWind表示将采用闭环水-乙二醇系统。该公司初步估算，第一阶段的用水量平均为每日10万升，两阶段合计每日用水量为50万升。
“We applaud the federal and provincial governments for setting high standards for responsible development,” Vichie said in a news release. “And we will continue to work with communities to ensure that our work meets their expectations.”EverWind said it will use a closed-loop water-glycol system. The company’s preliminary estimate for water usage is an average of 100,000 litres per day for the first phase and 500,000 litres of water per day including both phases.
水将从附近的兰德里湖取水。省级监管机构已批准兰德里湖供水公司每日从湖中取水3400万升，这使得EverWind的日需水量约占安全取水总量的1%。
Water would be drawn from nearby Landrie Lake. The provincial regulator has approved the Landrie Lake Water Utility to withdraw 34 million litres from the lake each day, which would make EverWind’s daily requirements about one per cent of the total safe withdrawal volume.
该公司承诺数据中心将附带一项价值数千万美元的社区受益计划。未提供具体的美元金额。当地社区和Anthropic将就如何使用这笔资金进行协商。
The company promised the data centre would come with a community benefit program worth tens of millions of dollars. A specific dollar figure was not provided. Local communities and Anthropic would consult on how to spend the money.
由Membertou第一民族牵头的米克马克社区联盟正在就该项目获得9%股权进行谈判。但并非所有人都准备好支持该项目。
A consortium of Mi’kmaw communities, fronted by Membertou First Nation, is negotiating a nine per cent equity stake in the project. But not everyone is ready to endorse the project.
新斯科舍省生态行动中心（EAC）表示，该项目提出的问题多于解答。
Nova Scotia's Ecology Action Centre (EAC) said it poses more questions than it answers.
EAC电网脱碳政策倡导者托马斯·阿纳森·麦克尼尔对该项目的规模提出了担忧。
Thomas Arnason McNeil, policy advocate on grid decarbonization at the EAC, raised concerns about the project's scale.
他说：“需要进行分析和工作，以量化……对费率付费人的影响，并了解该项目的环境影响将是什么。”
"There will need to be analysis and work that is done in terms of quantifying ... the impact on ratepayers and understanding what the environmental impacts of the project will be," he said.
麦克尼尔补充说，虽然该团队目前保留判断，但在推进之前进行彻底的影响评估是必不可少的。更多头条新闻
McNeil added that while the group is reserving judgment for now, thorough impact assessments are essential before moving forward. MORE TOP STORIES