CDC Data Centres has secured conditional development approval for a three-storey data centre at its Beard campus in the ACT, adding 12 data halls and 84MW of capacity to the site. The application puts the total cost of works at AU$ 203.5 million.
The project, known as Beard 2, will be built on Block 25 Section 11 at 23 Tantalum Street and forms the second stage of development at CDC’s Beard campus. The proposed building will have a gross floor area of 29,924 square metres and contain 12 data halls, with emergency on-site generators and a future 3,830sqm substation also included in the proposal. Twenty-three new parking spaces are planned, with access from Tantalum Street and Copper Close.
An environmental significance opinion application submitted in March describes the facility as having 84MW across its 12 data halls, with emergency generators providing up to 20MW. Beard 2 will sit alongside CDC’s existing Beard 1 data centre, which has 10 data halls and 15,347.76sqm of floor space. The combined floor area of the two facilities will be approximately 45,272sqm.
The site plan shows the new Beard 2 building occupying a footprint of approximately 10,357sqm, while the existing Beard 1 facility has a footprint of about 6,824sqm. The plans also show the future substation and existing generator and switching infrastructure. CDC’s Canberra campus page says the Beard campus is currently under construction and lists Beard 1 at 39MW.
The Beard 2 environmental significance opinion was issued conditionally by the ACT Territory Planning Authority. Conditions include requirements covering construction environmental management, spoil and contaminated soil, petroleum storage, erosion and sediment controls, noise and water use.
The approval means CDC can proceed with the next stage of its Beard development, although the development approval is conditional so has the usual caveats that the decision does not establish that the facility is operational or that construction has commenced.