AI cloud provider IREN has unveiled plans to build a 800-megawatt AI data centre campus in regional South Australia, marking one of the largest digital infrastructure developments in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Sydney-headquartered company has signed a major transmission connection agreement to power the facility, which will be located in Bundey, approximately 125 kilometres northeast of Adelaide.
The deal secures four 330-kilovolt feeder exits at a local high-voltage substation. The direct hook-up will allow the massive campus to draw up to 800 megawatts of electricity directly from the grid without requiring any costly network upgrades.
The project represents IREN’s first data centre campus on home soil, following large-scale expansions across North America and Europe.
The facility is on track to begin drawing power from 2028 and will capitalise on South Australia’s green energy targets, with the state’s electricity grid aiming to achieve 100 per cent net renewable energy by 2027.
IREN Co-CEO Daniel Roberts said the region offered a unique trifecta for digital infrastructure operators.
“South Australia offers what AI infrastructure at scale requires: abundant clean energy, the connectivity to serve the APAC region, and a state government that understands the opportunity and is acting on it,” Roberts said.
The Bundey campus will leverage critical submarine fibre optic cables to connect directly into booming tech hubs across the Asia-Pacific, including Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan, bridging a massive regional infrastructure gap.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas welcomed the multi-billion-dollar developer’s move, highlighting the employment windfall for regional communities. The project is expected to create more than 500 jobs during construction and over 200 permanent, highly skilled roles once operational.
“Data centres are a significant economic opportunity, which can bring high-quality jobs, stronger renewable energy infrastructure, and new opportunities for regional communities,” the Premier said.
“South Australia’s leadership in renewable energy, our record investment in higher education, our unashamed pro-jobs and pro-business outlook and appointing the nation’s first dedicated Minister for Artificial Intelligence means we are uniquely placed to seize the opportunities of AI.”
