AHI Red Deer / Blindman Industrial Park AI Data Centre
A modular AI data centre under construction in Blindman Industrial Park, Red Deer County.
The County approved Phase 1's discretionary use with conditions, and Havenz reports construction of the first 10 MW natural-gas power block. Hydrogen blending remains a future plan. Issued permits and condition-clearance records were not located in this review; that gap does not establish that construction began early.
Where it stands
Separate approval tracks, not a construction progress bar. Record last verified 2026-09-07.
The municipal decision dates to October 7, 2025. This record does not establish a current participation or appeal window. The approvals topic retains the conditions, missing permit-clearance records, and official sources. The third-quarter 2026 commissioning target has passed without a verified operating milestone in this record. See the approval and participation record ↓
Power and emissionsCampus demand, electricity supply, and emissions evidence
The current Phase 1 disclosure, later campus ambitions, and possible grid export are separate claims. Only the initial 10 MW power block is included as the current project capacity.
Important distinction: Hydrogen-ready equipment does not mean hydrogen is currently being used. Current fuel is described as natural gas. Hydrogen blending and eventual conversion are proponent plans whose timing, supply, and approvals are not public.
Phase 1 generation: 10 MW. The first modular on-site power block is intended to scale with customer demand. This is generation capacity, not a verified IT load. [5][4] Proponent statement
Current fuel configuration: Natural gas. The installed reciprocating engines are described as hydrogen-ready. No source reviewed by ADCW establishes that hydrogen is currently being supplied or burned. [5][6] Proponent statement
Hydrogen blending: Proposed future step. Energy Haven describes blending hydrogen with natural gas, but does not publish a blend percentage, supply contract, implementation date, or operating record. [6][4] Proponent statement
Full hydrogen transition: Long-term roadmap. The developer describes conversion as dependent on future feasibility. It is not current operation or an approved schedule. [6][4] Proponent statement
Longer-term campus power: 200 MW+ claimed. Havenz markets the broader mixed-use campus at more than 200 MW. This is a future campus ambition, not the approved Phase 1 data-centre load or current generation. [4] Proponent projection
Grid relationship: Export and interface capability proposed. Havenz and Energy Haven discuss future export opportunities and grid-interface capability while describing the campus as off-gridNon-grid-connectedThe facility has no electrical connection to Alberta's interconnected grid and relies on supply available to the site.It does not directly draw from or send electricity to that grid. Power-plant approvals and local impacts can still matter.Learn more →. No AESO connection project, export approval, final substation design, or operating export was verified. [4][5][6] Proponent statement
Air emissions and GHGs: Not quantified publicly. No project-specific public air-quality assessment, annual fuel demand, tonnes CO₂e estimate, or AUC power-plant decision was identified for the current Phase 1 system. [1][5] ADCW context
What remains unresolved
No current hydrogen use, hydrogen supply, blend percentage, conversion date, or hydrogen-specific approval was verified.
The make, unit count, efficiency, annual gas demand, air emissions, greenhouse-gas emissions, and regulatory status of the current power system remain incompletely disclosed.
No public AESO project, final grid-interface design, export authorization, or operating power export was confidently matched.
Water, cooling, and drainageSupply, demand, wastewater, and servicing
The registry's waterlessWaterless coolingThis usually describes cooling that rejects heat without routinely evaporating water in cooling towers.It does not establish zero water use across the site, or the absence of cooling fluids. The full design and the scope of the claim matter.Learn more → description does not establish zero site water demand. The County requires confirmation of consumption and use, and the public record does not quantify domestic, fire-protection, process, cooling, wastewater, or make-up water. [3][1][4]
Cooling: Waterless design reported. The provincial registry uses this description. Equipment details and operating water records are not published. [3] Public record
Water demand and source: Confirmation required; volume not published. The County requires written confirmation from applicable authorities for project water consumptionWithdrawal, consumption, and dischargeWithdrawal is water taken from a source. Consumption is the portion not returned to the same water system. Discharge is water released after use or treatment.These are different quantities. Check which one a water figure describes before comparing projects.Learn more → and use. [1][2] Public record
Water recycling: Broader campus claim. Havenz describes on-site recycling as part of the larger innovation-campus concept. It does not provide a Phase 1 design, balance, or operating result. [4][6] Proponent statement
Wastewater: Not publicly confirmed. No discharge route, sanitary demand, wastewater volume, treatment design, or agreement was identified in the reviewed sources. [1] ADCW context
Stormwater: Prior plans referenced as approved. The County development engineer said access, grading, and stormwater-management plans had been approved under a previous development permitDevelopment permitA municipality's approval allows a specified use or development on a particular site, subject to its land-use rules and any conditions.Separate provincial or utility approvals may still be needed. A permit does not establish that construction has begun or that the facility is operating.Learn more →. The report does not reproduce their design or establish operating performance. [1] Public record
What remains unresolved
Water demand, source, wastewater arrangements, and the details of the previously approved stormwater plan are not public.
Sound at nearby communitiesAssessment evidence, controls, and remaining questions
The County summarized the applicant's findings but did not publish the assessment's numerical receptor tables. The approval makes mitigation and later receptor validation enforceable conditions.
Applicant assessment: 22 residential properties within 1.5 km. The County says the assessment included the associated heat and power plant and cumulative noise from nearby regulated facilities, and predicted compliance for day and night. Numerical predictions are not reproduced in the report. [1] Public record
Generator exhaust: Hospital-plus-grade silencers required. Final silencer design must be verified and results validated at receptor locations. [1][2] Public record
Backup generatorsBackup generationBackup generators provide electricity when the normal supply is unavailable. They may also run for testing or maintenance.Installed capacity does not establish continuous operation, annual fuel use, or emissions. Operating hours and permit conditions are separate evidence.Learn more →: Acoustic enclosures required. The County condition applies to the 1.5 MW backup generation described in its report. [1][2] Public record
What remains unresolved
The numerical noise predictions, receptor table, baseline measurements, and post-construction validation results are not public.
Land, wetlands, and wildlifeSite area and the available environmental record
Site: 48.5 hectares (about 120 acres). The Phase 1 buildings occupy only part of the parcel. [1] Public record
Phase 1 buildings: 1,000 m² data centre; 471 m² administration. [1] Public record
Setbacks and visual impacts: Escarpment setbacks and screening apply. The Blindman plan identifies 30 m escarpment setbacks. Loading, storage, exterior mechanical equipment, and cooling towers must be screened from roads and adjacent sites. [1] Public record
Indigenous contextTreaty geography, engagement, and consultation evidence
Data centre projects sit within treaty territories and places with longstanding First Nations and Métis connections. Treaty boundaries alone cannot tell us which communities may be affected or how they view a project.
Treaty geography: Near the mapped Treaty 6 / Treaty 7 boundary. Geographic context only. It does not establish consultation, consent, or any community's position. [7] ADCW context
Equity-partner claim: Turning Stone identified by Havenz. Havenz calls Turning Stone an Indigenous equity partner. The reviewed public sources do not identify a Nation or community, ownership percentage, agreement terms, or consultation outcome. [5] Proponent statement
What remains unresolved
The identity and terms behind the Turning Stone equity-partner claim and any project-specific Indigenous consultation outcomes are not disclosed.
Approvals and participationSeparate decisions, public participation, and the recorded timeline
The October 2025 decision approved a discretionary land use subject to 17 conditions. Permit issuance, building permits, and compliance with other municipal and provincial requirements remain distinct steps.
Municipal decision: Approved October 7, 2025. Red Deer County approved the discretionary use with conditions. The motion carried with one councillor opposed. [2] Public record
Construction status: Phase 1 power block underway. Havenz reports foundations, mechanical and electrical work, and supporting infrastructure underway. Alberta Major Projects separately categorizes the project as under construction. [5][3] Proponent statement
Approval: Discretionary use approved with 17 conditions. Conditions cover approved plans, nuisance, landscaping security, visual screening, noise mitigation, roads, water confirmation, emergency response, remediation, and repair of damaged public property. [1][2] Public record
Permit transparency: Condition-clearance records not located. The County required non-continuing conditions to be met before the development permit could issue or construction could begin. Later sources report construction underway, but ADCW did not locate the issued permits or records showing when the conditions were cleared. This gap does not establish that construction began early. [1][5] ADCW context
Road and traffic: Road Use Agreement required. The applicant must enter a County-approved road-use agreement. Expansion beyond Phase 1 requires an updated traffic-impact assessment for Highway 2A intersections. [1][2] Public record
Recorded timeline
Observed decisions and future dates are kept distinct; projected milestones may change.
October 7, 2025. Red Deer County's Municipal Planning Commission approves the discretionary data-processing-centre use subject to conditions. [1][2] Public record
February 24, 2026. Havenz reports that the first hydrogen-ready engines have arrived and that Phase 1 power-block construction is underway. [5] Proponent statement
Third quarter 2026. Havenz's target for commissioning the first power module. This remains a proponent schedule, not a verified operating date. [5] Proponent projection
October 31, 2026. Deadline in the County approval for paving the parking areas. [1][2] Public record
What remains unresolved
The issued development permit, building permit, approved-plan revisions, and satisfaction of pre-construction conditions were not located in the reviewed public record.
Company and commitmentsScale, projected benefits, and delivery commitments
Expected on-site employment: Approximately 5 to 7 people. Applicant estimate recorded in the County report, not an observed employment count. [1] Proponent projection
Project overview
Red Deer County approved the Phase 1 discretionary use in October 2025. Havenz reports that the first 10 MW natural-gas power block and supporting infrastructure are under construction. The installed engines are described as hydrogen-ready, but the reviewed sources do not establish current hydrogen blending or hydrogen-fuelled operation.
What remains unresolved
The final data-centre IT load, tenant commitments, server deployment, and operations start are not confirmed.
Unresolved questions are retained within each relevant topic above.
SourcesOriginal documents and publication details
Source record
Company disclosures establish what the company said, not independent verification of projected outcomes.
- Request for decision: Data Processing Centre, file D-25-212Red Deer County · Municipal record · 2025-10-07
- Municipal Planning Commission minutesRed Deer County · Municipal record · 2025-10-07
- Blindman Industrial Park AI Data CentreGovernment of Alberta Major Projects · Government database · Accessed 2026-09-07
- AHI Red Deer Sustainable Innovation CampusHavenz Smart Communities · Company disclosure · Accessed 2026-09-07
- Construction accelerates at AI data centre near Red DeerHavenz Smart Communities · Company disclosure · 2026-02-24
- Energy Haven partnership with AHI Red Deer Sustainable Innovation CampusEnergy Haven · Company disclosure · Accessed 2026-09-07
- Treaty Boundary datasetGovernment of Canada Open Government Portal · Government database · Modified 2026-06-29