If it matters to you, it matters to us.
Kurri Kurri Data Centre
AirTrunk is proposing a new data centre at Kurri Kurri, and we know a proposal like this can raise questions about what it could mean for the local community.
We want to understand what matters to people in Kurri Kurri and provide clear, useful information as the proposal develops. Through ongoing community consultation, there will be opportunities to ask questions, share feedback and stay informed throughout the process.
WHY ARE DATA CENTRESNEEDED?
When we send a message, stream a video, use online banking, store photos or use AI, data centres help process and store that information.
As more of our lives and businesses move online, the demand for digital infrastructure increases and we need more data centres to keep these services reliable, fast and secure.
What we are building
AirTrunk is proposing a data centre on the former Kurri Kurri smelter site at Hart Road, Loxford.
Two storeys, approximately 16.8 metres tall
44,220 square metres or around 6.2 standard football fields
More than 500 metres from the nearest home
Will not draw on community water supply for cooling
AirTrunk will pay its own way by funding its grid connection, support new renewable energy and share the benefits with nearby households with a $200 annual deduction on energy bills.
Water
This data centre has been designed so it won’t use community water for cooling. Instead, we’ll use air-based cooling.
Noise
The proposed site is more than 500 metres from the nearest residential home, in an area zoned for industrial use, adjacent to the four-lane Hunter Expressway and near existing infrastructure.
WHY THE SITE AT KURRI KURRI?
BENEFITS FOR KURRI KURRI AND THE HUNTER
350 ongoing local jobs for decades to come
$200 annual power bill savings
$37 million investment in local infrastructure
Thousands of construction jobsLocal economic impact
The project will create more than 350 ongoing local jobs for decades to come, including 250 on-site roles and more than 100 off-site jobs supporting the facility. Several thousand additional jobs are expected during construction.
Opportunities will span construction, engineering, electrical and mechanical services, supply chain, facilities operations, maintenance, security, administration, landscaping, cleaning and other support services.
AirTrunk will also work with local suppliers and regional education and training providers to support apprenticeships, work experience and career pathways across technical and non-technical roles.
Will locals have opportunities to work on the project?
Yes. The project will create opportunities for local individuals, subcontractors, suppliers and service providers during construction and operation. These may include civil works, construction, engineering, equipment supply, facilities operations, maintenance, security, cleaning, catering, transport, accommodation and professional services.
AirTrunk will work with local training organisations, industry and community groups to share information and create practical pathways for local participation.
Local businesses and individuals can register their interest through the project’s Expression of Interest register.
Interested in opportunities connected to the proposed data centre?
Whether you’re a local supplier or contractor, renewable energy developer or jobseeker, you can register your interest below.
AirTrunk Community Energy Program
Subject to receiving the necessary approvals, AirTrunk proposes to launch our Community Energy Program, supported by the investment in a community battery that will provide energy infrastructure for community benefit.
Neighbouring households and Kurri Kurri residents would be able to participate in the Community Energy Program through energy retailer Origin Energy. Eligible local households who sign up would receive a $200 annual deduction to a standard electricity bill, helping ensure those living nearest to the project can share directly in the benefits of locally stored renewable energy.
This approach is being developed through a partnership agreement currently being finalised.
Investment in community infrastructure
Our commitment to Kurri Kurri extends beyond the project site. As part of the proposed development, AirTrunk has engaged with Cessnock City Council and submitted a draft offer to directly contribute more than $37 million to support the delivery of district infrastructure.
This includes a contribution of more than $12 million towards Council’s broader-catchment share of the proposed Loxford District Sporting Facility and Multipurpose Community Facility.
Social Impact Program
As a part of the proposed development, AirTrunk will extend its Social Impact Program to the Hunter Region. Since its establishment in March 2025, AirTrunk has already donated and committed $6.8 million to selected charities through the program.
AirTrunk is working with a number of existing social impact partners – including Australian Red Cross, Deadly Science and Rural Aid – to explore opportunities to localise activities in the local area, during the delivery phase of the proposed development. More information about our social impact partnerships can be found here.
Register your interest
Note: Artist’s impression only. Final design and landscaping may change.
The facts: water
Water scarcity is a real problem in the Hunter Valley. We know the community wants assurance that new industry won’t place added pressure on local water resources.
That’s why this data centre has been designed so it won’t use community water for cooling. Instead, we’ll use air-based cooling.
There will be some minimal water use for things like toilets, kitchens, and cleaning, but the overall design minimises water requirements as much as possible.
Note: Artist’s impression only. Final design and landscaping may change.
The facts: power
We believe new data centre projects must support the energy system.
AirTrunk will pay its own way by funding the full cost of grid connection and the delivery of a new substation on our site.
The proposed site connects via a 132kV power line, which will help unlock investment in new renewable generation, including projects in the New England Renewable Energy Zone. AirTrunk will support new renewable generation projects in the region to supply new renewable electricity to our project. Alongside this, we’re developing a Community Energy Program that could provide nearby eligible households with a $200 annual deduction on their electricity bills.
Note: Artist’s impression only. Final design and landscaping may change.
The facts: noise
Noise and its potential impact on the community have been a priority from the outset.
The proposed site is more than 500 metres from the nearest residential home, in an area zoned for industrial use, adjacent to the four-lane Hunter Expressway and near existing heavy infrastructure.
Noise will be carefully assessed as part of the Environmental Impact Statement, and the design will need to operate within NSW Government noise limits.
The data centre itself has been designed to minimise impacts, with key equipment located behind buildings so that the structures themselves provide acoustic shielding.
These are all issues we understand matter deeply to the community. Our aim is not just to meet the requirements, but to ensure these factors have meaningfully shaped the project’s design.
Note: Artist’s impression only. Final design and landscaping may change.
The facts: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The proposed Kurri Kurri Data Centre would reuse existing industrial land to create a new source of jobs, investment and economic opportunity for the region.
Its operation would involve no process manufacturing and relatively limited freight and vehicle movements.
AirTrunk’s sustainability commitments will help guide the project’s design and operation.
These include: improving energy efficiency, matching electricity use with renewable energy, reducing water consumption, managing embodied carbon and responsibly addressing impacts on nature and biodiversity.
At Kurri Kurri, this means exploring off-site renewable energy procurement and investment in new renewable projects, using a low-water cooling approach, applying appropriate biodiversity and landscaping measures, and managing construction impacts through detailed environmental controls.
What is a data centre?
OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
AirTrunk has long-term partnerships with Australian Red Cross, DeadlyScience and Rural Aid through our Social Impact Program. If the project is approved, we will deepen these partnerships to support communities in and around Kurri Kurri.
We propose to include bushfire preparedness and resilience activities with Australian Red Cross, STEM and cultural learning in local schools with DeadlyScience, and practical support for farms and rural communities with Rural Aid.
These opportunities are part of AirTrunk’s wider Social Impact Program, which supports long-term partnerships across STEM education, digital inclusion, sustainable innovation, biodiversity and conservation, and disaster resilience and response.
We want any activities in Kurri Kurri to reflect what matters to the people who live and work here. The opportunities are still being explored and would be shaped with our partners and the local community around what would be most useful in the region.
Where we are, and your next say
Has this already been decided?
No. Here’s where this proposal is right now, and what happens next.
Request SEARS
Set assessment requirements
Prepare EIS
Prepare environmental assessment
Exhibit DA
Respond to submissions
Assess DA
Review the application
Determine DA
Decide on the application
Stephen, Nina and Rob.
COME SPEAK TO THE AIRTRUNKTEAM
In the month of October, a community drop-in centre will be located within the Kurri Kurri Visitor Information Centre at 199 Lang Street. Drop in to learn more about the proposal, ask questions and have a chat with the team about the project.
Open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm. No appointment is required.
If you require more time with the team, have specific questions that may require a subject matter expert or can’t make it in normal operating hours email engage@willowtc.com.au and one of our team will reach out to organise an individual time that suits.