Arabic version: تمويل مركز بيانات «فيرموس» في تسمانيا لا يزال غير مكتمل
According to ABC News, Firmus Technologies has not secured full funding for its Long Reach AI data centre project in northern Tasmania, while it continues work on three planned facilities in the state.
The company, headed by Oliver Curtis and Tim Rosenfield, is building a data centre at St Leonards in Launceston, has development approval for the Long Reach project in the Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone, and is seeking approval for a third facility at Wesley Vale. Long Reach is the largest of the projects, with a planned capacity of 288 megawatts.
Firmus general energy manager Paul Grzinic told Tasmania’s parliamentary energy committee that the Launceston site was fully funded and that stage one of Wesley Vale was also fully funded. He said other sites remained subject to development approval. A company spokesperson said St Leonards was well advanced in construction and contracted to a customer, while Wesley Vale stage one had funding allocated but was awaiting approval. Bell Bay was under option to a customer and would be funded in stages, the spokesperson said.
Firmus withdrew its application to list on the Australian Securities Exchange earlier in October and said it would seek private funding. The company would not identify its customers. It is appealing a George Town Council condition limiting the use of backup diesel generators at Long Reach, while Latrobe Council has asked Planning Minister Kerry Vincent to consider the Wesley Vale proposal as a major project.
Mr Grzinic also said all energy for Firmus’s Tasmanian facilities would be developed and procured in Tasmania, correcting information in a federal AI inquiry submission that he said had been mistakenly included by consultants. Hydro Tasmania is assessing a Firmus request for 444MW, with a decision expected by the end of the year. Hydro has identified three planned wind farms that could supply the company once operational, but said new generation would not be available until at least 2030.
