The Gore Hill industrial area could soon be welcoming another major data centre, giving the boot to a number of local businesses including a ballet academy and the Climb Fit rock climbing gym.
What happened: Australian investment firm Gateway Capital put forward plans for the project last week, estimated to cost one billion dollars.
The five-storey, 1.5ha facility would sit between Royal North Shore Hospital and HomeHQ mall.
Energy: The data centre will have a maximum load capacity of 81 megawatts, similar to the NextDC Artarmon Centre just west of the site. That is roughly around the power usage of every home in the Hornsby Shire combined.
Water: Gateway is currently “evaluating multiple heat rejection and cooling options,” meaning a decision on whether the centre will use water to cool its computers has not yet been made.
If a cooling option without water is chosen, this will likely drive general power usage up.
What’s the plan: Planning documents claim the project will create 250 jobs during construction and 50 once the centre is operational.
The current site is used as warehouses, home to a number of manufacturers, wholesale and retail businesses, two gyms and a dance studio.
Context: Both the NSW and federal government are moving to legislate rules on data centre development, including regulations on energy and water use. However, it is unlikely these will be implemented until at least early 2027.