Darwin data centre powering ahead
The Northern Territory welcomes a world-class $80 million critical infrastructure project that is being built and operated by Australia’s leading data centre provider, NEXTDC.
The facility, which is called D1 Darwin, will house approximately 1,500 racks and support approximately 8MW of IT load when fully developed. It is strategically located on Harvey Street, within walking distance to the new Charles Darwin University CBD campus.
Data centres are crucial for the Territory's digital connectivity and economic development, serving as the backbone and vital infrastructure for critical data storage, processing and distribution. They are pivotal to supporting cloud computing, data analytics, and other digital services necessary for businesses across sectors such as agriculture, education, mining, tourism, health care and retail services.
Kapitol Group NT are managing construction of D1 Darwin, and since site activity commenced in November 2023, several civil works have been completed, including the completion of foundations and resilient structures have been erected.
To accelerate the construction process, the sections of the facilities interior are being assembled in modules off-site by Kapitol Group NT. This month, these modules will be transported and then assembled on-site in Darwin, to finalise the facility for ongoing operations, which is anticipated to begin early in the second half of 2024.
NEXTDC Head of Regional Sales Claire Sangster stated:
“This will be NEXTDC’s first data centre in the Northern Territory, connecting premium digital infrastructure to a nationwide ecosystem of carriers, partners and cloud platform providers,” she said.
“We are excited by its strategic location with close proximity to the CBD in addition to major submarine cable infrastructure for ultra-speed international access. For many sectors such as mining, resources and defence, the capability to scale digital capabilities and optimise the value of innovative technologies like AI will present ongoing digital transformation opportunities.” Ms Sangster said.
D1 Darwin will utilise terrestrial and subsea cables into Darwin to enable private and secure networking for Australian and overseas customers and will offer national and international connectivity through VOCUS’ Darwin-Jakarta-Singapore subsea cable project which was launched in 2023.
The facility incorporates state-of-the-art technologies with advanced cooling and energy efficiency to ensure operational excellence in Darwin’s tropical climate while prioritising environmental sustainability.
As the Territory aims to diversify its economy and business growth, robust data centre infrastructure becomes increasingly important in enabling innovation, driving efficiencies, and fostering economic growth.
Territory Investment Commissioner Kelly Ralston says there is already significant customer interest in D1 Darwin, with the facility supporting strong growth for the Territory’s digital economy.
“Darwin is within 50 milliseconds of more than 500 million people,” she said.
“Our strategic position offers a secure and stable solution for digital, data, technology and telecommunications companies to start-up, relocate or expand their operations to service the local, Australian and Indo-Pacific markets.
“We look forward to seeing the benefits of D1 Darwin and the many other digital projects currently underway in the Territory – it is strengthening our digital infrastructure, and it will inspire innovation and fresh thinking for many generations.”
NEXT DC’S construction of D1 Darwin is one of many digital projects underway in the Territory aimed at driving economic growth, connectively and innovation across industries.