Anthropic Secures $31 Billion Data Centre Deal in Western Queensland, Says Crisafulli

Anthropic, the company behind the innovative large language model Claude, has taken a significant step in expanding its operations by securing a lease for its inaugural Australian datacentre in western Queensland. This ambitious project, valued at $31.9 billion, is set to become the largest datacentre of its kind in the country, as outlined in recent planning documents.

Queensland’s state premier, David Crisafulli, made the announcement regarding Anthropic’s investment during a parliamentary session on Wednesday. He emphasized the discussions he had with Anthropic officials during a recent trade mission, highlighting the advantages of investing in Queensland, including its energy security and efficient approval processes.

“The securing of Anthropic’s first major investment in Australia is a tremendous endorsement of Queensland’s prospects,” Crisafulli stated. “This represents a significant victory that will create jobs and enhance our energy supply.”

The forthcoming Western Downs digital park, developed by the Singapore-based company Zerra DC, will be located near Dalby, to the northwest of Toowoomba. It is expected to connect directly to the Braemar power station, with the first phase of the project aimed for launch next year.

Planned to unfold in four stages, the initiative awaits approval from the local regional council, as per the documentation submitted last month. The section dedicated to Anthropic will cover approximately 725.5 hectares of land, part of which is currently occupied by a feedlot.

Andrew Smith, the mayor of Western Downs, assured that the council would carry out a “thorough and comprehensive assessment process” concerning the datacentre proposal. He noted that the timeframe for this process would depend on various factors, such as any additional information requests and community involvement during public notifications.

The new facility is poised to contribute to AI processing by focusing on “inference” tasks, which involve answering queries rather than training the AI model itself.

In July, Queensland and the Northern Territory rejected a national movement advocating for new AI centres to rely solely on renewable energy. The state government claims to have negotiated an exemption from a national agreement, enabling it to utilize its coal power generation for these centres. Crisafulli described Prime Minister Anthony Albanese‘s decision as “commonsense,” permitting Queensland to shape its own energy future.

“Datacentre development should enhance energy generation and help mitigate power costs for Queensland residents,” Crisafulli added. “It must also protect local water resources and honor the local communities hosting these facilities.”

Additionally, Anthropic had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the federal government in April, as discussions continue around proposals granting AI companies default access to Australian creatives’ works, a move criticized by independent senator David Pocock as detrimental to creative professionals.

On Tuesday, Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, reiterated his call for a deliberate pace in AI advancement, citing concerns surrounding the rapidly evolving technology.