Developer says gigantic WA data centre will not use fracked gas

Detailed summary

Concerns about the proposed mega data centre in Western Australia come amid growing opposition to similar facilities in the United States.

The company behind a proposed data centre has sought to ease fears it will power the facility with fracked gas.

Gingerah Energy says the centre will be mostly powered by renewables, with gas sourced from "the domestic gas market" as backup supply.

The company intends to refer its project to the WA Environmental Protection Authority for review within weeks.

The company proposing to build a massive data centre in northern Western Australia has sought to ease concerns the facility will be powered by gas sourced through fracking.

Gingerah Energy referred its plan to build a 1,000-megawatt data centre and renewable energy hub to the Commonwealth's environmental agency last month.

The site proposed is on Karajarri country, near Broome, about 2,000 kilometres north of Perth.

Chief executive Jop van Hattum said Project Meridien, which Gingerah hopes to be delivered by 2030, would initially be powered by solar, batteries, gas, and later also by wind.

He said renewables would initially provide more than 85 per cent of the facility's total energy demand, with that figure rising as it expanded towards its full one-gigawatt capacity.

The gas used would most likely come from Karratha, Mr van Hattum said.

Opening of the article, excerpted from ABC Business. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.