Hut 8, a bitcoin miner headquartered in Miami, is planning to build a massive AI data center in West Feliciana Parish, reports the website 1012 Industry Report. The report said Hut 8 will invest $2.5 billion to develop the first phase of the project and the data center’s tenants will invest an additional $10 billion in computers and equipment, bringing the total initial investment to about $12.5 billion.
The first phase of the project will see two 450,000-square-foot facilities constructed by the end of 2025, and the second phase will see additional facilities constructed by the end of 2026.
The news follows the recent announcement that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is planning a $10 billion AI data center in Richland Parish, but that project won't be completed until 2030.
The Hut 8 data center will be constructed on 107 acres in the southeastern corner of West Feliciana Parish. West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard says the project will move much faster than the Meta project in part because of the parish’s existing infrastructure and power availability.
The first phases of the project will require about 300 megawatts of power, though future phases will naturally demand greater resources.
The project is expected to create hundreds of direct new jobs and support between 1,500 and 2,000 construction jobs during peak construction. Havard says Hut 8 has committed to sourcing labor and materials locally whenever possible.
According to Havard, the project will be a boon not only for his parish but also for the entire region.