"Datacentre power demand in Australia could triple in five years and is forecast to exceed by 2030 the energy used by electric vehicles. Datacentres now draw about 2% of electricity from the National Grid, about 4 terawatt hours of power. The Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo) expects that share to rise rapidly growing 25% year-on-year to reach 12TWh, or 6% of grid demand, by 2030, and 12% by 2050."
"In New South Wales and Victoria, where most are located, datacentres could comprise 11% and 8% of each state's electricity demand, respectively, by 2030. Technology companies including OpenAI and SunCable are pushing for Australia to become a hub for data processing and storage. Last month the Victorian state government announced a $5.5m investment to become Australia's datacentre capital. But with 260 centres operating nationally, and dozens more in the offing, experts are flagging concerns about what the industry's unfettered growth could mean for the energy transition and climate targets."
"Banks of servers running 24/7 in a confined space generate massive amounts of heat and require electricity to run and cool them. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton's Clear Air column as a free newsletter Datacentre demand globally is growing four times faster than all other sectors, according to the International Energy Agency. Centres are multiplying and are increasing in size, with hyperscale facilities becoming more common. According to the IEA: A hyperscale, AI-focused datacentre can have a capacity of 100MW or more, consuming as much electricity annually as 100,000 households."
Datacentre electricity consumption in Australia is set to surge, potentially tripling within five years and surpassing electric vehicle energy use by 2030. Datacentres currently account for about 2% of national electricity consumption (around 4 TWh); AEMO projects growth of roughly 25% year-on-year to reach 12 TWh (6% of grid demand) by 2030 and 12% by 2050. New South Wales and Victoria could see datacentres consume about 11% and 8% of state electricity by 2030. The sector includes roughly 260 centres with many more planned, raising concerns about grid capacity, cooling-related electricity and water use, and climate targets. Hyperscale AI facilities can require 100MW+, comparable to 100,000 households annually.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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