NEXTDC eyes up Darwin, NT, as next data centre pad

NEXTDC has purchased land in Australia's Northern Territory, which is set to be the site of the company's newest data center.

The land, located in Darwin, will play host to a Tier III data center facility, known as Darwin 1 (D1), in partnership with the Northern Territory Government. NEXTDC will also build out a 'Mission Critical Operations' centre within Darwin's central business district.

While full details will be revealed this month, NEXTDC's CEO Craig Scroggie says the partnership with the Northern Territory Government will help to strengthen the state's digital industry.

"This digital infrastructure development represents an important investment for the NT, that will further support and accelerate the growth of the northern digital gateway in Australia.

NEXTDC states that D1 will expand its network of data centers to support the state's growing digital economy and to establish the state as 'Northern Australia's leading digital economy and Australia's digital gateway to Asia'.

Northern Territory Government's chief minister Michael Gunner comments, "We're excited to work with NEXTDC to build this world-class data center in Darwin.

"We want to make the Territory a hub for digital industries and investment, and now we can look forward to building infrastructure that will create new jobs and opportunities, which will support local tradies.

Vocus will reside as a tenant in the D1 data center and it will also provide high-capacity connectivity through its Terabit Territory fibre network. Furthermore, Vocus will leverage D1 to support its fibre infrastructure deployments located around Northern Australia, such as the Darwin-Jakarta-Singapore Cable system and the Project Horizon fibre between Darwin and Perth via Port Hedland.

Last month, NEXTDC's data center in Perth, Western Australia, was named Best Commercial Property as part of the WA Property Council Awards.

The P2 data center, a Tier IV facility, spans more than 10,000 square metres of technical space and 10 high-density data halls. It is also fault-tolerant so equipment failures or distribution path interruptions do not affect the data center's overall operations.

According to Hames Sharley project lead, Dean Symington, the awards speaks to the functionality and design of NEXTDC's P2 data center.

"One of the biggest challenges of this project was the need to deliver a non-public building with a public interface that also connected the street level. Strong, bold architectural accents of red were chosen to emphasise 3D spatial geometries in NEXTDC, while the inclusion of fins to the street works to create a dynamic façade when moving past the building at speed," Symington explains.

Hames Sharley added further value by investigating and implementing the inclusion of breakout spaces to the street for additional façade activation and improved user experience.

The P2 data center also features sustainable initiatives including low-flow fixtures and fittings, efficient MEP systems, and end-of-trip facilities to encourage alternative transport modes to work.