Anthropic Signs First Australia Data-Centre Agreement

AI company Anthropic has signed its first data-centre lease agreement in Australia, securing capacity at a planned facility in Queensland as AI companies compete for electricity and land to support growing computing demand. Reuters reported the development on September 16, 2026. Key details The proposed data-centre campus has a planned capacity of 2.16 gigawatts, putting it among the largest computing facilities currently planned or operating globally. The site is on farmland approximately 250 km from Brisbane and is expected to begin coming online in 2027. The project is being developed by Singapore-based Zerra DC. Anthropic intends to use the facility primarily for AI inference — processing requests from AI models — rather than model training. The facility is planned to use renewable power purchase agreements and a closed-loop, air-cooled cooling system, designed to reduce its use of fresh water. The agreement remains subject to approval by Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board. Why it matters The deal highlights the rapidly increasing demand for power-intensive AI infrastructure. Australia is seeking to attract investment in data centres because of its land and renewable-energy resources, while authorities are also facing concerns about how large facilities could affect electricity, water and land use. Reuters says economists estimate Australia's broader data-centre investment boom could reach A$150 billion ($107 billion) by 2030. The announcement is also notable because Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently called for AI companies to slow the pace of developing increasingly capable models, amid concerns about potential misuse. Accountability note Reuters based the details of the lease on two people familiar with the deal, who were not authorised to speak publicly. Anthropic and Zerra DC declined to comment, and the project still requires regulatory approval. Therefore, the proposed capacity and timeline should be described as planned, rather than as an operational data centre. Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/anthropic-signs-first-australia-data-centre-agreement-2026-09-16 Reuters — Anthropic signs first Australia data centre agreement