en.Wedoany.com Reported - Macquarie Data Centres has agreed to acquire a site in Sydney for A$240 million, planning to build a technology and engineering campus and an approximately 200 MW data center in Macquarie Park, Sydney's North Region.
The site, located between Talavera Road and the M2 Motorway, covers approximately 34,200 square meters and is zoned for light industrial use. Macquarie has exercised an option to complete the acquisition, subject to standard settlement procedures. The company plans to collaborate with Macquarie University to develop the site into a campus combining education and data center facilities, enabling students and researchers to gain hands-on exposure to data centers, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and cloud technologies through campus work practices.
The proposed facility is currently in the design phase, pending planning and other approvals. Initial construction is expected to be completed by 2029, with designs to be further refined based on customer requirements and power approvals.
The campus will be located within one of Sydney's existing technology corridors, featuring dense fiber connectivity and concentrated industrial and technological activity. Macquarie plans to continue its campus-style development model, combining commercial infrastructure with educational and community uses. The data center is designed to use advanced air cooling and closed-loop systems for primary heat rejection to limit water consumption, and the design also supports direct-to-chip liquid cooling and air cooling within data halls to accommodate higher-density computing loads.
The project is progressing amid ongoing expansion by Australian data center operators, driven by growing demand from cloud service providers, AI-related computing, and government clients. Sydney remains a development focus due to its network connectivity, customer concentration, and status as a major data center market.
The campus will include community facilities in certain areas, including a park spanning over one acre, a community garden, and an outdoor art gallery. The gallery aims to showcase works related to local residents, Macquarie University faculty and students, and local history and indigenous connections. Macquarie stated that the park will transform an overlooked portion of the industrial site into a recreational space for residents of the City of Ryde, describing it as an intergenerational park with recreational and community uses.
This development builds on the partnership between Macquarie Technology Group and Macquarie University, aiming to create pathways for students and scholars to gain direct industry experience in technology and engineering through work associated with the new campus. Macquarie Data Centres currently operates three data center campuses, two in Sydney and one in Canberra, with its facilities having received strategic certification from the Australian federal government and having operated in the Macquarie Park community for 16 years. The company also stated that it has consistently supported programs such as early childhood literacy, high school career planning, and graduate development pathways.
Commenting on the development, Macquarie Data Centres CEO David Hirst said that in addition to bringing approximately 200 MW of Australian-owned and operated data center capacity to Sydney's North Region, the proposed campus will deliver lasting benefits to the local community. In collaboration with Macquarie University, students and researchers will be able to experience the latest data center, cybersecurity, and cloud technologies firsthand, and will provide residents of the City of Ryde with an intergenerational community park spanning over one acre.
