Hut 8’s $10 billion River Bend AI data center in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, is currently under development, with initial construction having begun in late 2025 as part of a phased buildout designed to support artificial intelligence and high-performance computing infrastructure.

Jacobs was selected by Hut 8 to provide engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services for the River Bend data center project in mid-December 2025.

The River Bend facility has a lease contract of 15 years, which is valued at $7.0 billion. It has a potential of facilitating 245 megawatts of IT capacity. This is expected to form the foundation of a campus, which will then be utilized for A.I. work.

According to Hut 8,  the project will rely on existing power-dense infrastructure in the region to support large-scale operations. The company expects to complete and commission the first data hall in the first quarter of 2027, with additional data halls coming online later that year.

The company cited Hut 8 Mining Corporation’s experience in the completion of large-scale data center and infrastructure projects as the reasons for choosing Jacobs. Jacobs will be in charge of EPCM work throughout the development as the construction of the facility goes on.

Power and Scaling: The site has secured 330 MW of utility capacity from Entergy Louisiana, with the potential to scale to a massive 1,000 MW (1 GW) in future phases.

Timeline: The first data hall is scheduled for completion and commissioning in Q2 2027.

Financial Partners: Financing for the project is being underwritten by J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, covering up to 85% of the total cost.

Economic and Regional Impact

Job Creation: At peak construction, the site is expected to employ approximately 1,000 workers. Once operational, Phase I will create at least 75 direct new jobs in the region.

Infrastructure Partners: Hut 8 is collaborating with Vertiv for critical digital infrastructure and is using an execution model designed to de-risk the delivery of such a large-scale project

The initial phase of the River Bend project represents a significant capacity for a single data center development and a win for Louisiana in the race for data center development investments amongst states in the USA.  The project is geared for an expansion, and the campus could become one of the larger AI-focused data center developments in U.S.

Hut 8’s River Bend development adds to a growing wave of large-scale digital infrastructure investment across Louisiana. In northwest Louisiana, Amazon is also developing new $12B hyperscale data center campuses, reinforcing the state’s emergence as a competitive destination for AI and cloud computing infrastructure.

Project Factsheet: River Bend Data Center

Overview

Project Name: River Bend Data Center

Location: Louisiana, United States

Client: Hut 8 (Energy Infrastructure Platform)

EPCM Contractor: Jacobs Engineering Group

Project Type: AI and High-Performance Computing Data Center

Project Scope & Scale

Initial IT Capacity: 245 megawatts

Lease Agreement: 15-year, $7.0 billion lease

Development Significance: Anchor facility for one of the largest AI and high-performance computing campuses planned in North America

Services Provided: Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM)

Key Features

Power Infrastructure: Leverages region’s power-dense utility infrastructure for reliable, high-quality delivery

Design Focus: Speed, flexibility and consistency at scale

Priority Areas: Safety, quality and disciplined delivery

Execution Model: Partnership-driven approach designed to de-risk delivery and establish repeatable framework for future expansion

Project Timeline

Initial Data Hall Completion: Q1 2027

Subsequent Data Halls: Rolling completion throughout 2027

Lease Duration: 15 years from commencement

Strategic Significance

The River Bend data center represents a major investment in AI infrastructure and positions the campus as a critical hub for high-performance computing in North America. The project emphasizes execution discipline and establishes a scalable delivery model for Hut 8’s broader development pipeline.