Firmus Technologies faces a mid-December deadline to submit a complete major project proposal for its $2.1-billion 52MW data centre in Wesley Vale, Tasmania, or risk having the application withdrawn. The state’s major projects planning process grants the developer 90 days to provide necessary documentation to determine if the project qualifies for assessment. The deadline follows the company’s withdrawal of its planned $30-million ASX listing on October 9, citing market volatility and prevailing market conditions. That offering would have been Australia’s largest IPO since Telstra in 1997, targeting a valuation of about $44 billion, though Firmus reportedly faced weak investor demand and concerns over its proposed valuation, debt levels, and IPO materials detail.
Project Details and Community Concerns
The centre would occupy approximately 3 hectares at 174 and 226 Mill Road, on the former APPM/PaperlinX pulp and paper mill site, which operated from 1969 until 2010. The proposal includes a 3,502 square metre building with a 2,689 square metre data hall, 793 square metres of administration space, and technical infrastructure like cooling systems, water storage, and internal roads. It also features 40 diesel backup generators for grid outages, testing, and maintenance. The cooling system is designed to use an average of 448 kilolitres of water annually, sourced from on-site rainwater, with dry cooling used on most days.
Community opposition has grown alongside a wave of data centre projects nationwide, with local groups raising concerns about water security and noise. Independent noise modelling cited in the proposal predicts levels up to 31 decibels beyond the site boundary for 1 percent of the year. Latrobe Council has referred the proposal to the state Planning Minister without a completed major project proposal and investigated whether site works exceeded an approved forest practices plan, with Firmus claiming the work was general site maintenance not requiring planning approval.
Broader Implications and Potential Outcomes
Firmus’s wider Tasmanian pipeline includes a 104MW AI facility at St Leonards in Launceston and an approved 288MW development at Bell Bay. Hydro Tasmania is evaluating a request for a long-term energy arrangement to support the company’s combined 444MW demand, with a decision expected by year-end. If the December 15 deadline is missed, the Wesley Vale proposal will be treated as withdrawn, and legislation prevents resubmission of the same or substantially similar application for two years. Alternatively, if the minister decides the project should not be declared a major project, it would revert to the original council assessment process.
Local contractors could see increased activity during construction, with an estimated 70 jobs created, alongside over 20 permanent positions in the initial operational phase. The site adjoins existing electricity transmission infrastructure, including the Wesley Vale substation.