Supernode plans $2.5bn data centre development north of Brisbane

Brisbane is to get a renewables-powered data centre backed by a 2000MWh battery.

Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners said it has secured a 30 hectare site at Brendale, 20km north of Brisbane, adjacent to the South Pine substation which can supply up to 800MW through three high voltage connections.

The site has access to a fibre cable under construction by Torus, which will provide access to the AARNET/Google/RTI Japan-Guam-Australia cable landing at Maroochydore.

Quinbrook said it has obtained both Foreign Investment Review Board approval and local planning permission from Moreton Bay Regional Council for a multi-tenant campus of up to four hyperscale data centres.

The project has a $2.5 billion construction budget, and the company said it will contract to supply the data centres from Queensland-based renewable energy companies.

iTnews asked for a breakdown of the $2.5 billion project budget between data centres and battery storage, but had not received a response at the time of publication.

However, the 129MWh Hornsdale battery built by Tesla after South Australia’s 2017 power crisis had a price tag of around $90 million. The Hornsdale battery has since been expanded to 193MWh.

Quinbrook said the supply available from its battery will stabilise the Queensland grid and should put downward pressure on power prices.

As well as signing with local renewable providers, the company said it will develop its own renewable resources as customer demand grows.