Google is planning to build a new AI data center on Christmas Island, a remote Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, following the signing of a three-year cloud-services agreement with the Australian Department of Defense earlier this year. The data center project will lease land near the island’s airport and secure energy supply via a local mining company. Defense analysts also say the facility would serve as a valuable command-and-control node in the Indian Ocean. Especially so as the island’s location allows for the monitoring of maritime activity and deployment of unmanned systems.
Project Factsheet
Location: Christmas Island in Indian Ocean. Sits approx. 350 km south of Indonesia.
Project Developer/Owner: Google (Alphabet Inc.)
Partner: Australian Department of Defense
Key Developments:
- Land lease negotiations near Christmas Island airport underway.
- Energy supply agreement in progress with local mining company.
- Environmental approval application submitted for a subsea cable connecting the island to Darwin through U.S. contractor SubCom.
Status: Pre construction
Overview on the Christmas Island Data Center by Google and Australia’s Dept of Defense
Google’s AI data center on Christmas Island means the Indian Ocean continues to be an area of interest for maritime surveillance, undersea cable infrastructure and regional power projection. The latter is especially true with relations involving China, Australia, the U.S. and Japan. Google’s data center in this geography also highlights a merging of two important sectors: technology and defense. As one former U.S. Navy strategist put it: “The data center is partly to allow you to do the kinds of AI-enabled command and control that you need to do in the future”.
What to Expect
For Google, this facility extends beyond commercial cloud capacity. For Australia, it offers an opportunity for connectivity, job creation and the development of a rather remote, under developed outpost which has until now lacked major data center investment. Australia’s main land is however a contrast to the outpost island as investments keep streaming in with the latest being Apple’s expansion of its renewable energy and nature conservation initiatives.
Execution of the Christmas Island data center by Google and Australian Dept. of Defense also expects to face some difficulties. The island’s population of about 1,600 residents and unique ecosystem, notable with the annual red crab migration, mean that local approval, environmental impact regulation and social licensing could face some headwind. Geopolitically, the project could also get a little bit touchy.
Outlook on the Christmas Island Data Center by Google and Australia’s Dept of Defense
Google’s Christmas Island data center might open the Australian outpost in Indian Ocean to more investments. If realized, the project could also be a benchmark for other remote outpost facilities. Over time, this project could also form part of a broader network of compute infrastructure hubs spanning the Indo-Pacific region. The tech major also recently unveiled plans to build data centers in space under name, Project Suncatcher.
