CDC Data Centres is set to build its next data centre campus in Western Australia, as it eyes growing demand for high-density compute and artificial intelligence capabilities through the trilateral AUKUS pact.
The company, backed by Australia’s sovereign wealth fund and New Zealand-based infrastructure investment firm Infratil, on Tuesday revealed plans for the 200-megawatt facility, which is expected to be operational in 2026.
The WA campus will grow CDC’s existing data centre footprint largely centred on the eastern seaboard, including four data centres in Canberra that serve some of the Commonwealth government’s largest agencies
NextDC, Equinix, Vocus and Fujitsu are among the companies with existing data centres in Western Australia, which is home to the shipyard where Australia’s new fleet nuclear-powered submarines will dock from early 2030.
CDC Data Centres chief executive and founder Greg Boorer said the expansion is a natural next step for the company and reflects growing demand from defence and other critical infrastructure sectors for sovereign infrastructure.
“Western Australia is an increasingly important region for national and regional security, and the future of AUKUS,” he said, announcing the plan in a post on LinkedIn.
“We are looking forward to ensuring such customers have the capabilities in place where and when they need them to deliver on their critical missions and goals.”
CDC will reportedly spend $415 million on the first stage of the facility, which will feature advanced liquid cooling technologies and zero water consumption for primary cooling.
Located in the Perth suburb of Maddington, the facility will also house office space and a range of other “amenities designed to meet the diverse needs of our customers”, Mr Boorer said.
“Our vision for this project is to deliver more than just a data centre. We are envisioning a comprehensive technology campus, including state-of-the-art facilities, with the highest power densities for AI workloads at scale…”
“This reflects CDC’s integrated approach, which ensures that we can offer a holistic environment that fosters innovation and collaboration with some of our most critical customers.”
CDC’s eight data centre campuses, which consist of 20 data centres, are currently valued at more than $17 billion, with Infratil in July announcing that the value of its investment in the company had climbed $148 million in three months.
In February, the Future Fund boosted its stake in the company by acquiring almost half the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation’s share, at a cost of $1.78 billion. Infratil also bought out 1.58 per cent of CSC shares on offer.
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