Hut 8 Partners with Anthropic to Build Major US Data Centre

Hut 8, an energy infrastructure company, has entered into a significant partnership with Anthropic and Fluidstack to establish a new data centre aimed at enhancing AI infrastructure across the United States. This collaboration is set to generate at least 245 megawatts of capacity, with the potential to expand to as much as 2,295 megawatts, leveraging high-performance clusters managed by Fluidstack.

The initial phase of this project involves a 15-year lease valued at $7 billion for the first 245-megawatt facility located in Louisiana. Financial backing for this venture is provided by Google, which will cover lease payments along with associated obligations.

Phased Approach to AI Infrastructure

The partnership will unfold in three distinct phases. The first phase will see Hut 8 and Fluidstack develop the initial 245 megawatts of IT capacity, supported by an additional 330 megawatts of utility capacity. Following this, Hut 8 has indicated it could further increase computing capacity by an extra 1,000 megawatts in the second phase. The third phase could see the development of an additional 1,050 megawatts at other Hut 8 locations across the US.

This collaboration has been highlighted by the companies for its scale and the strategic alignment of power, digital infrastructure, and compute resources. These elements are essential for supporting the energy-intensive demands of advanced AI models.

In a broader context, Anthropic announced in November 2023 its intention to invest $50 billion in building custom data centres throughout the United States. This initiative is part of a competitive strategy against other AI industry leaders, including Meta Platforms, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google.

The partnership between Hut 8, Anthropic, and Fluidstack not only marks a significant investment in AI infrastructure but also underscores the growing demand for high-capacity data centres capable of supporting the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence technologies. As the industry evolves, such collaborations will likely play a crucial role in shaping the future of AI deployment and capabilities.