Anthropic Signs $32B Queensland Data Centre Deal for Claude

A $32 billion data centre planned on 725 hectares of Queensland's Western Downs will run Anthropic's Claude, according to the ABC. Singapore's Zerra DC filed the development application with the local council last month. Anthropic aims to start using the site near Dalby in 2027, with construction stretching four to six years.

At its four-phase peak, the campus would draw about 47 gigawatt-hours a day, against Queensland's average daily consumption of 170GWh. Peak capacity is pegged at 2.16 gigawatts, a power draw comparable to 1.5 million average Australian households.

Premier David Crisafulli called it "a major win that will deliver more jobs, put more energy into Queensland's grid and drive down power prices." Federal Maranoa MP David Littleproud was more cautious: "Power reliability and cost for existing homes, farmers and businesses cannot be sacrificed."

Anthropic told the ABC it will use the facility to power Claude to answer user questions, rather than for training AI models. The deal is subject to Foreign Investment Review Board approval and to local council planning approval. Western Downs Mayor Andrew Smith said discussions with the developer have referenced "around 1,000 jobs," and the application remains "before the council's planning team."

Not everyone is on board. "We are deeply concerned about the proposed energy consumption of this particular data centre," said Liza Balmain, spokesperson for Save Our Darling Downs. That local resistance rhymes with an NYT/Siena poll from the same day, which found 61% of US voters oppose new AI data centres.