Macquarie Data Centres has started construction of its AI and Cloud data center, IC3 Super West, in Sydney, Australia.
Meanwhile, the company's cloud services division has launched a Dell-Azure hybrid cloud offering, dubbed Macquarie Flex.
Construction of IC3 SuperWest underway
Macquarie Data Centres selected FDC Construction (FDC) as the main contractor for the project which is the third - and final - and largest data center on the Macquarie Park Data Centre Campus in Sydney's North Zone.
In total, IC3 Super West will bring the campus' IT load to 63MW, and will commence operations with all end-state power secured.
The latest data center received approval in January 2024. According to the latest updates, the data center will be able to handle rack densities fit for AI workloads, and will bring more than 1,200 jobs to the region. The construction cost is expected to be around AU$350 million (US$231.2m) between FY25 up to the point of practical completion of phase one, which will deliver the powered core and shell, as well as 6MW of IT load fitted out.
David Hirst, group executive of Macquarie Data Centres, said: “Sovereign AI and cloud data centers are the backbone of Australia’s AI-driven future. Like all of Macquarie Data Centres’ facilities, IC3 Super West will be certified strategic by the Australian Federal Government. This gives our data centers a strong compliance posture as regulations around data sovereignty and AI continue to tighten in Australia and worldwide."
This is the seventh data center project between FDC and Macquarie Data Centres, with the most recent being IC3 East, the previous addition to the campus.
Ben Cottle, founder of FDC Construction, said: “Our longstanding partnership with Macquarie Data Centres is a testament to the trust and collaboration that exists between both organizations. With the rapid adoption of AI resulting in increased demand for data centers, FDC’s team of experts continues to be at the forefront of delivering scalable, energy-efficient facilities like IC3 Super West that can support the ever-evolving demands of Macquarie Data Centres’ customers.”
In an email to DCD, Macquarie confirmed that this will be the last data center on its Sydney campus, but the company is seeking other new sites in the city for growth.
Macquarie Cloud Services launches Macquarie Flex cloud offering
Macquarie Cloud Services has, through a partnership with Microsoft and Dell Technologies, launched a cloud offering dubbed Macquarie Flex.
Macquarie Flex is a hybrid solution powered by Microsoft Azure Stack hybrid cloud infrastructure (HCI) and Dell Technologies APEX cloud platform for Microsoft Azure.
The company states that it is the first Dell Technologies partner in Australia to offer the Azure Stack HCI, and will enable organizations to reduce integration costs and the complexity of hybrid cloud.
“Macquarie Flex is the true definition of hybrid and represents a new era of hybrid cloud solutions.” said Macquarie Cloud Services head of Azure, Naran McClung. “Azure and private cloud, two disparate environments, promising different things, for different purposes, bound together to provide Australian businesses the choice, flexibility, and agility needed to succeed.”
The new offering will enable users to run sensitive and compliance-driven workloads in a private cloud while accessing Azure's services. The company also recently launched Macquarie Guard, a turnkey software-as-a-service solution that automates guardrails into Azure services.
