NEXTDC has kicked off its $80 million data centre build in Darwin, with the hope of launching the facility mid next year.
The company first announced plans for a Darwin data centre in October 2021.
Earlier this year, Vocus completed the Darwin segment of its Darwin-Jakarta-Singapore cable, which along with the Darwin-Port Hedland cable segment has given the city better data centre-scale connectivity.
“As our flagship data centre in NT, D1 Darwin forms part of NEXTDC’s strategy to leverage the next frontier of edge computing and for the region,” CEO Craig Scroggie said in a statement.
“Its proximity to Darwin’s CBD and direct access to the major submarine cable infrastructure, means legacy industries such as mining and resources alongside the emerging defence sector can have real-time responsiveness to operational and mission-critical needs, fully capturing the value of emerging technologies.”
The facility is projected to reach 8MW capacity, and the company and the Northern Territory government say it will support the Digital Territory Action Plan.
The facility will have 3000 square metres of technical space and 2000 square metres designated as “mission critical” space; capacity for 1500 racks; and a power use effectiveness (PUE) target of 1.5.