NEXTDC NE1 Newman Data Centre, Newman, WA

NEXTDC, an ASX top 100 data centre operator in Australia, is known for its high quality, industry-certified data centres. Undergoing rapid growth, they are adding new sites to their existing facilities across the country. NDY is delivering 3 of their cutting edge data centres, including NE1 Newman, PH1 Port Hedland and D1 Darwin.

NE1 Newman is NEXTDC’s second data centre in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. This new Tier III certified facility includes 3 portable modular data centres, significantly advancing regional infrastructure to meet growing client demand. Designed to support Edge based operations, NE1 increases connectivity to remote areas of Australia, supporting critical uptime applications such as mining and digital infrastructure. It also improves connectivity from Australia to overseas.

In partnership with telecommunications company Vocus, NE1 Newman integrates new undersea cabling from Asia to Australia to provide regional businesses access to reliable, high-speed cloud computing solutions.

To be constructed over several stages, NE1 Newman Stage 1 Phase 1 comprises a single level data centre.

The data centre hall component is a prefabricated modular unit designed and supplied by NEXTDC’s partner, Vertiv.

After completion of all stages, the NE1 Newman data centre will include:

• 560 m² of technical space
• 1.5MW IT capacity
• Tier III uptime institute standards
• 250+ rack capacity.

In the initial phase of the project, we undertook a peer review of the Vertiv portable modular data centre, equipping our team with an understanding of the critical interfaces necessary for its operation. Given the challenging local conditions, including the remote site location, NDY provided Vertiv with broad feedback for services integration.

With this knowledge we continued onto the next phase as lead consultant, developing the essential site infrastructure and services input. This included resilient power supply connections to the site supported by local emergency generators and water and drainage services for humidity control of the data centre, readying the site to receive the module once it was fabricated and shipped.

NDY was responsible for site preparations, utility connections and securing development approval, ensuring that the data centre received the necessary uptime certification. It was critical to the project that all site services were coordinated and ready for the arrival of the portable modular data centre to meet tight project programmes.

Design solutions were tailored to address the unique challenges of the remote site location and high temperatures to enable reliable operation of the facility. For example, we worked closely with generator suppliers to select suitable products that support continuous power supply in the most demanding environmental conditions.

To meet NEXTDC’s construction timeline, our civil team delivered an early works design package ahead of the design development phase, speeding up construction while design continued. We provided solutions for key issues, such as future development plans, tight construction timeframes and the lack of local drainage infrastructure. Our team overcame the challenge of discharging stormwater off the site (in the absence of stormwater connection from the council) by proposing alternative solutions in coordination with the Shire of East Pilbara.

Our acoustic design aimed to meet local noise regulations. During the feasibility study, we conducted baseline noise surveys to assess environmental impact. Given the facility’s 24/7 operation with noisy condensers and generators, we worked with the project team and NEXTDC to develop tailored acoustic treatments. Solutions included designing the generator plant room’s exterior, adding acoustic louvres and using specialised acoustic rated doors.

Our sustainability team conducted energy modelling for NE1 Newman Stage 1 Phase 1 using available information to predict the energy consumption and NABERS rating for the facility. The model has been adapted, and results presented, for 4 different IT load scenarios: 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% of the maximum load. NEXTDC is not pursuing a formal rating for this phase but was seeking to understand the likely power use efficiency, given the technology being considered.

NE1 Newman sets a new standard for data centres in remote Australia. Overcoming its environmental challenges, NE1 Newman enhances NEXTDC’s connectivity and operational efficiency. It’s a cutting-edge facility that meets regional demand while anticipating future needs.