Zerra DC Proposes AU$31bn AI-Ready Data Center Campus in Queensland, Australia

Zerra DC has unveiled plans for a massive data center campus in regional Queensland, Australia, marking one of the largest digital infrastructure projects proposed in the country. The Western Downs Digital Park, a master-planned digital, energy, and computing hub, is slated for a 725.5-hectare site approximately 250 kilometers north-west of Brisbane, with a projected investment exceeding AU$31 billion (US$22.19 billion) at full build-out.

The project, recently filed with the Western Downs Regional Council, envisions the phased delivery of up to four AI-ready data centers. The campus will be situated at 1933 Dalby–Kogan Road, strategically positioned near the Braemar substation and a cluster of major power assets, including the Darling Downs Gas Power Station, Darling Downs Solar Farm, Braemar 2 Gas Power Station, Alinta Energy Braemar Power Station, and the Daandine CGPF. This proximity to diverse energy sources is central to the site's appeal, offering both grid connectivity and access to multiple generation facilities.

Phase I of the development will comprise the first data center building, designated 1A, delivering 36,000 square meters (387,500 square feet) of data center floor space. This initial phase will also include an on-site battery-backed power conditioning system and a 540MVA substation, along with supporting infrastructure. Subsequent buildings—1B, 2A, and 2B—are each planned to match the same 36,000-square-meter footprint, underscoring the scale and consistency of the campus design.

In a notable departure from conventional cooling methods, the company states that the site's data centers will "utilize 100 percent air-cooled technology, removing the need for water-based evaporative cooling." This approach addresses growing environmental concerns about water consumption in arid Australian regions, aligning with sustainability expectations for large-scale industrial projects.

Zerra DC, a developer and operator of hyperscale data center campuses across Australia and the Asia-Pacific, is owned by investment firm AGP. The company, formerly known as AGP DC, has an active pipeline of data center developments in India, Japan, and Australia. AGP, founded in 2018, has also invested in a data center in Mumbai alongside Digital Edge, and reports 920MW of secured capacity across the US, India, Japan, and Australia.

The developer's broader portfolio includes a previously secured $127 million in funding from Tata Capital for a data center in Navi Mumbai, India, as well as exploration of a former automotive plant site in Melbourne for potential development. The Western Downs project, however, represents a significant escalation in scale for the company's Australian ambitions.

The proposal has drawn attention from regional industry stakeholders. The Queensland Renewable Energy Council (QREC) noted that the Western Downs campus demonstrates how the region's diverse energy mix and strong agricultural base are "strengthening its appeal to major new energy-intensive industries." Katie-Anne Mulder, CEO of QREC, commented: "The Western Downs has long been one of Queensland's great energy-producing and agricultural regions, with established coal and gas industries sitting alongside grain, cotton, feedlots and other agricultural production."

The site currently operates as a 24,000-head cattle feedlot owned by the Wambo Cattle Company, highlighting the transition of agricultural land toward digital infrastructure. As hyperscale demand continues to surge across the Asia-Pacific region, projects like the Western Downs Digital Park illustrate the growing trend of locating data centers in regional areas with abundant land and energy resources, rather than traditional metropolitan hubs.