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Anthropic's First Australian Data Center: 2.16GW Campus Leased

Anthropic Leases 2.16GW Data Center Campus in Australia

Anthropic has inked its first data center lease in Australia, according to a Reuters report on the 16th. The deal covers a sprawling computing campus with a planned capacity of 2.16 gigawatts—enough to power a small city. Located roughly 250 kilometers west of Brisbane, the site will be developed by Singapore-based firm Zerra DC.

The campus will purchase renewable energy and independently shoulder the costs of connecting to the grid. That's no small detail: AI infrastructure is notoriously power-hungry, and access to reliable, cheap electricity often dictates where data centers end up. Australia, with its vast open spaces and abundant renewable resources, has become a magnet for such projects. OpenAI, for instance, signed a similar agreement last year to build a data center Down Under.

But not everyone is cheering. The Australian government has pledged to impose limits on data center resource usage starting in 2027, responding to concerns about energy consumption and environmental impact. For Anthropic and others, the clock is ticking.

Key Points

  • First Australian lease: Anthropic secures a 2.16GW data center campus near Brisbane.
  • Developer: Singapore-based Zerra DC will build and operate the facility.
  • Energy strategy: The site will use renewable power and bear grid connection costs.
  • Growing trend: Australia's renewable resources attract AI giants like OpenAI.
  • Regulatory challenge: Government caps on data center resource use loom in 2027.