AirTrunk will establish a $37 million community infrastructure fund and build a community battery as part of its proposed $3.7 billion Kurri data centre proposal.
An environmental impact statement for the state-significant project, to be built on the site of the former Hydro aluminium smelter, will be put on public exhibition in coming days.
More than $12 million of the community infrastructure fund would go towards Cessnock City Council's contribution towards the proposed Loxford District Sporting Facility and Multipurpose Community Facility.
The community would have input into how the remaining $25 million would be spent.
AirTrunk has also committed $5 million to support the delivery of a community battery that will allow 5000 eligible homes to take part in a community energy program delivered by Origin Energy.
If approved, the battery would provide eligible households in Kurri Kurri and surrounding areas with a $200 annual deduction on their electricity bills.
Blackstone and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought AirTrunk for $24 billion in 2024.
It operates data centres in Sydney, Melbourne, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. The Kurri data centre would be its first project in regional Australia.
The company is in negotiations with three potential clean energy suppliers to supply the 540-megawatt project, which would have a life expectancy of at least two decades.
It is likely it will use between 70 and 75 per cent clean energy when it opens in 2028, with the aim of ramping up to 90 to 100 per cent by 2030.
AirTrunk head of community Rob Bartrop estimated the project would create several thousand construction jobs over 12 to 18 months.
Once complete, the project would employ between 350 and 400 people in jobs in electrical and mechanical trades, administration, security and landscaping.
Mr Bartrop said the company was in discussion with Hunter TAFE and skills colleges regarding training opportunities for people interested in working at the data centre.
The company is also about to embark on a further phase of community consultation during October via a community drop-in centre at the Kurri Kurri Visitor Information Centre at 199 Lang Street.
The centre will be open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm. No appointment is required.
A project website will also provide additional information.
"A lot of questions have been about energy, water consumption and local employment opportunities," Mr Bartrop said.
He said many of the questions about water and energy had been addressed in the design process.
"We're not using any water for cooling. It's what we call a dry cool design.
"Water will only be used for toilets, kitchens and things like that."
For energy, Mr Bartrop said the project was aligned with the state and federal governments' requirements for data centres to source their own renewable energy.
"Part of the reason we love the site is it is adjacent to the high-voltage transmission line that runs up to the renewable energy zone in the New England," he said.
"We are fully actively working to secure long-term renewable energy projects to power the facility."
The data centre is proposed to be built on a 75-hectare parcel of land owned by the McCloy Group.
McCloy Group chairman Paul Broad said the project was part of a vision that the late Jeff McCloy had for the area.
"This is the delivery of a dream that sadly Jeff is not here to see," he said.
"It's the combination of a bloke taking a risk to buy the site because he had a dream well beyond the next five to 10 years.
"For me, it's incredibly fulfilling to be helping to deliver that dream on the ground today."
