Hydro Tasmania은 차세대 AI 데이터센터 프로젝트로 인한 막대한 전력 수요를 반영한 주 역사상 최대 규모의 전력 수요 제출안을 검토 중이다.

Hydro Tasmania expects to decide whether to approve an artificial intelligence data centre company’s request for 450 megawatts (MW) of power by the end of the year. The state-owned hydro-electric utility has launched a dedicated webpage to address community concerns and questions regarding the energy demands of Firmus Technologies’s proposed AI data centres across Tasmania.

Firmus is currently constructing a facility in Launceston, holds approval for another at Long Reach within the Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone, and has submitted a development application for a third site at Wesley Vale in the state’s north-west. While the company maintains a three-year contract supplying 104 MW of hydroelectric power to its Launceston operation, it requires a new agreement to secure sufficient electricity for all three facilities. Firmus recently secured regulatory approval for its Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone project last month.

According to Hydro Tasmania, Firmus has requested a long-term 450 MW contract covering all three sites. This volume represents up to 30 per cent of Tasmania’s current energy consumption and would instantly make Firmus the state’s largest power consumer by a significant margin; the current largest user, Bell Bay Aluminium, draws 355 MW.

“We are assessing their request and expect an outcome to be known by the end of 2026,” Hydro Tasmania stated. “The key question we will seek to answer is whether 450 MW of new energy can be provided and what are the commercial terms that would deliver value to Tasmania while managing any risks.”

Hydro Tasmania noted that its energy system is currently “in balance,” generating approximately the same amount of power as the state consumes. However, the utility cautioned that this equilibrium may not persist indefinitely, as output fluctuates annually based on the delivery timing of new renewable supply, shifting demand patterns, and rainfall levels. “450 MW is a significant increase in demand,” the company explained. “Meeting Firmus’ request would require more generation to be built in the state, including through new wind and solar developments which would be owned and managed by third-party private businesses. Hydro Tasmania would not be involved in funding, constructing or maintaining these new developments.”

Firmus co-CEOs Tim Rosenfield and Oliver Curtis are overseeing the development of the three planned facilities. On the policy front, the federal government is drafting legislation that will mandate large AI data centres to procure their own renewable energy. Firmus has pledged to exceed this requirement, committing to build two MW of new renewable generation capacity for every one MW it consumes.

Hydro Tasmania outlined two potential pathways to accommodate this expansion. Under the first option, “Firmus could enter an agreement to contract energy directly from new wind and solar developers, leaving us to fill the gaps when there is little or no wind and sun. Our role in this is called firming.” Alternatively, “Firmus could enter an agreement to contract energy from Hydro Tasmania, and we could enter into direct agreements with the new wind and solar generators.”

In evaluating the proposal, Hydro Tasmania indicated it will treat Firmus like any other major industrial power user. The assessment will address several critical considerations: whether Firmus is financially stable; how much new renewable generation is required to meet the demand and when it can be commissioned; whether the proposed agreement would generate profits for the utility and, ultimately, ratepayers; and whether the arrangement aligns with the company’s obligations to Tasmanians, including acting commercially and managing water storages responsibly.

Concurrently, the Tasmanian government is conducting a formal inquiry into AI data centres, with public submissions closing on September 21. Hydro Tasmania confirmed it will prepare and lodge a submission to the inquiry.