The biggest data centre in the Southern Hemisphere has been given the green light by the Minns Labor Government creating hundreds of jobs, supporting fast-growing demand for cloud storage and the booming digital economy.
The $3.1 billion data centre from proponent CDC data centres will join 90 that are already up and running in NSW and will provide reliable infrastructure for computing needs of the community, governments and businesses across Australia and the Asia Pacific region.
The facility is at Marsden Park in Sydney's north-west approximately 36 kilometres from the centre of Sydney.
It will also provide a major boost to the Western Sydney's economy generating 220 construction jobs and 265 operational jobs.
Despite its size the centre is also leading the way in green technology incorporating advanced sustainability and energy efficiency measures to reduce water and energy use.
Its power usage will be among the most efficient in the world for data centres as CDC Data Centres, plans to source energy from renewable energy providers, with the aim to minimise greenhouse gas emissions from the development by up to 99 per cent by 2030.
The development will also target a Water Usage Effectiveness measure (WUE) of 0.01 through an air-based cooling system that includes chilled water, which is reused. That means for every 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy consumed by the facility it uses only 0.01 litres of water.
When assessing the proposal, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure made sure the applicant carefully addressed issues such as operational noise, air quality and bulk and scale.
The proposal was approved in 12 months representing an efficient and timely assessment process for this critical modern-day infrastructure.
The Minns Labor Government is driving further major investments and innovations like this project through the Investment Delivery Authority (IDA), which was set up to accelerate approvals for major projects across all industries, including advanced technologies and energy.
Since opening expressions of interest in September the IDA has received 48 proposals worth $136 billion dollars including 23 projects related to data centres and technology.
Treasurer for New South Wales Daniel Mookhey said:
"Approval of the largest data centre for the Southern Hemisphere is an exciting step forward for digital infrastructure in NSW and Australia.
"This project will support the booming digital economy while also creating hundreds of jobs through both construction and operation, delivering more high-tech employment opportunities close to home for workers in Sydney's west."
Minister for Planning and Public Places Paul Scully said:
"This $3.1 billion hyperscale data centre will be a powerhouse for Australia's future digital economy and is a great example of digital infrastructure being delivered sustainably.
"The complex will create hundreds of jobs and provide sovereign infrastructure to make sure our most important data stays safe, and our systems stay strong.
"Whether it's modelling climate change, running complex financial systems or just helping individuals to search and create, this facility will give people the tools they need to work faster and smarter."
Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology Anoulack Chanthivong said:
"This is a great example of the vibrant and dynamic innovation sector that NSW is fostering.
"With their strong capabilities in enabling complex and powerful computing tasks, centres like this one are crucial to supporting businesses and individuals across our state.
"Investments like this are crucial to cementing NSW as the innovation powerhouse of Australia, and the Southern Hemisphere."
