Proposed Dalby data centre to 'air-cool' operations and harvest rainwater from roof

A proposed $32 billion data centre development in regional Queensland is touting its water and energy efficiency credentials, with the Singapore-based developer claiming it can operate during even the worst droughts.

The Western Downs Digital Park, to be built near Dalby, will comprise four data centres, with the first already leased by Anthropic for use as early as 2027. Planning documents show each building will require 21,000 litres of water a day, equivalent to the usage of a small shopping centre.

Air-cooled operations

Zerra DC's chief data centre officer, Matt Ward, said the facility will be entirely air-cooled and will not draw from bores or town water.