Report
Data Centres as Enabling Infrastructure
The new Mandala report – Data Centres as Enabling Infrastructure – explains the key role of sustainable data centres in the modern digital economy and recognises their important role in the renewable energy transition.
The report highlights the significant opportunity for collaboration and coordinated policy action to harness data centre growth for national benefit.
Key findings of the report include:
- Data centres drive economic growth: The technology sector, including data centres, generates $12.6 billion in gross value added per TWh of energy consumed – well above mining or manufacturing.
- Data centres’ energy consumption is the same as a shopping centre: Data centres consume just 2% of Australia’s energy. They use the same amount of electricity as shopping centres.
- Data centres are active energy investors: Data centres have invested $3.1 billion in grid infrastructure since 2020. By 2030, they will have invested $7.2 billion in grid infrastructure.
- Commitment to water efficiency: Data centres currently consume less than 0.1% of Australia’s water. By 2030, data centres will have invested up to $1.1 billion in recycled water infrastructure.
- Effective policy settings will harness data centre growth: in a way that accelerates Australia’s clean energy transition while ensuring sustainable energy and water practices.
The report is published by Data Centres Australia and commissioned by four of Australia’s largest data centre operators – AirTrunk, Amazon Web Services, CDC Data Centres, and NEXTDC.
This is the second Mandala report and builds on its October 2024 publication Empowering Australia’s Digital Future, which highlights the essential role data centres play in driving innovation, jobs, essential services, and the clean energy transition.
