Construction on the Sunshine Coast\u2019s very first \u201cdedicated AI factory\u201d has kicked off, with new closed-loop cooling technology expected to minimise water consumption.<\/p>\n
Large concrete pillars are protruding from a former car park in the heart of the Sunshine Coast as construction kicks off for the region\u2019s \u201cfirst dedicated AI factory\u201d.<\/p>\n
NextDC\u2019s second data centre, named SC2, in the Maroochydore CBD will be situated along South Sea Islander Way on a plot of land which was previously used as a gravel car park.<\/p>\n
Sunshine Coast Council labelled the $200m centre the biggest private commercial investment and \u201cfirst dedicated AI factory\u201d in the region.<\/p>\n
The development will be a \u201cstate-of-the-art, AI-optimised\u201d facility pushing digital capability for sectors such as aerospace, geospatial intelligence and biomedical research.<\/p>\n
The project page by NextDC describes the development as \u201cpurpose-built for the AI era\u201d and designed to support Queensland\u2019s growing demand for \u201cAI-ready digital infrastructure\u201d.<\/p>\n
NextDC\u2019s first data centre in Maroochydore – SC1 – already uses \u201chigh efficiency\u201d water-cooled chillers, rainwater cooling towers and pumps.<\/p>\n
NextDC CEO Craig Scroggie said SC2 and its AI infrastructure would require a \u201cmore advanced cooling approach\u201d compared to their SC1 centre, which was recognised as one of the most water-efficient facilities in Australia due to its rainwater usage.<\/p>\n
The new centre will use closed-loop, liquid direct-to-chip cooling, where the water sits within a sealed system, circulates over chips to remove heat and is then reused.<\/p>\n
Any topping up required will use recycled water rather than the region\u2019s potable drinking water supply which traditional centres use, Mr Scroggie said.<\/p>\n
He noted the centre\u2019s ongoing water consumption would be minimal thanks to the closed system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not traditional evaporative cooling,\u201d Mr Scroggie said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a sealed, highly efficient system designed specifically for AI infrastructure, and it allows us to deliver high-performance compute while materially reducing water use and improve the sustainability of technology growth.<\/p>\n
This is a part of NextDC\u2019s \u201cnew generations of AI capable infrastructure\u201d compared to traditional AI data centres using millions of litres in water.<\/p>\n
An Environmental and Energy Study Institute article stated a large AI centre consumes up to nearly 19m litres of per day, equivalent to a city of between 10 and 50 thousand people.<\/p>\n
The article found a medium-sized centre uses up to 416m litres in a year \u2013 or about 1.14m litres per day \u2013 which is comparable to the annual water consumption of about 1000 households.<\/p>\n
Mr Scroggie said the facility would provide jobs for engineers, technicians and operations staff once running, but also establish opportunities for cloud providers, network operators, cybersecurity firms, software companies and startups.<\/p>\n
The site was formerly a car park in the heart of the Maroochydore CBD, and is in proximity to a plot of land expected to become a 1800-apartment development.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n