Hyper-scale data centre could draw quarter of Queensland's power usage
The proposed $30 billion data centre in Queensland has a peak capacity comparable to the average power requirements of 1.5 million households.
A proposed hyper-scale data centre in Queensland, Australia, could consume up to a quarter of the state's daily electricity usage, according to experts. The Western Downs Regional Council is currently reviewing the development application for the project, which would be the largest data centre proposed in Australia. The developer, Zerra DC, a Singapore-based company, has proposed a 2.16 gigawatt (GW) peak capacity data centre, equivalent to 1.5 million average Australian households.
If completed, the facility would draw about 47 gigawatt-hours (GWh) a day, significantly increasing Queensland's average daily energy consumption of 170GWh.
Experts argue that new energy generation assets must be introduced as soon as possible to power the growing artificial intelligence (AI) technology boom. The development application for the project, known as the Western Downs Digital Park, was submitted to the Western Downs Regional Council last month during a national debate about how to manage the rise of AI technology.
The project could take four to six years to build, pending regulatory and environmental hurdles. Zerra DC's spokesperson stated that the digital park would connect directly to an existing substation and would not rely on local distribution to small surrounding towns.
The project's impact on the environment and local communities has raised concerns. Dr. Andreas Helwig, an electro-mechanical engineer, emphasized the importance of getting the power supply right to avoid grid instability and high costs for consumers. Climate Finance Energy director Tim Buckley highlighted the need for new energy generation investments to meet the increased power demand.
Premier David Crisafulli has advocated for an energy-agnostic approach to powering data centres, suggesting that increased generation could help drive down power prices. However, climate change concerns and the potential for negative impacts on local communities have prompted opposition from groups like Save Our Darling Downs, which has witnessed the consequences of energy generation projects in the past.
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