Macquarie Data Centres has started construction on its IC3 Super West data centre after appointing prominent Australian construction company, FDC Construction (FDC) as the main building contractor. The project will bring more sovereign AI and cloud data centre capacity to Sydney.

IC3 Super West is being purpose built for high-density cloud and AI workloads, including hybrid air and liquid cooling options. The facility is the third and largest addition to the provider’s flagship Macquarie Park Data Centre Campus in Sydney’s North Zone and will bring the total campus IT load up to 63 megawatts (MW). IC3 Super West will open its doors with all end state power secured.

The new build is part of Macquarie Data Centres’ wider expansion strategy to meet the increase in demand for capacity from its hyperscale, government and enterprise customers.

“Sovereign AI and cloud data centres 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 centres a strong compliance posture as regulations around data sovereignty and AI continue to tighten in Australia and worldwide,” said Macquarie Data Centres Group Executive David Hirst.

“This partnership brings together two Australian powerhouses with extensive experience in constructing state-of-the-art, mission critical facilities.”

IC3 Super West marks the seventh project between FDC and Macquarie Data Centres, reinforcing the companies’ longstanding partnership. Their most recent project was IC3 East, the previous addition to the Macquarie Park Data Centre Campus, which was delivered on time and on budget.

“Our longstanding partnership with Macquarie Data Centres is testament to the trust and collaboration that exists between both organisations. With the rapid adoption of AI resulting in increased demand for data centres, FDC’s team of experts continue 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,” said FDC Construction Founder Ben Cottle.

IC3 Super West will offer customers AI densities, resilient data halls, dedicated office space and storage. The large-scale project is expected to bring more than 1,200 jobs to the region. The construction cost will be circa $350 million from FY25 to practical completion of Phase 1, which will deliver the powered core and shell, as well as 6MW of IT load fitted out.

“The widespread adoption of AI is fueling a new wave of next generation AI infrastructure and GPUs from tech giants such as Dell and Nvidia,” added Hirst. “These highly dense compute technologies can only live in purpose-built data centres that meet their significant power and cooling requirements. IC3 Super West is being built to cater to this rising demand here in Australia.”