Anthropic reportedly seeks up to 1.4GW of Australian data centre capacity

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Anthropic is seeking to secure more than 1.4GW of Australian data centre capacity as part of a long-term AI infrastructure strategy, according to a report by the Australian Financial Review, in what would represent one of the largest AI infrastructure procurements ever contemplated in Australia if it proceeds.

The AFR, citing confidential tender documents it has obtained, reported that the US AI company is seeking a long-term development partner capable of delivering a data centre campus exceeding 1.4GW, with a goal of bringing at least 1GW of capacity online by the end of 2027. According to the newspaper, Anthropic is also prepared to participate in development risk where a suitable site has not yet been secured.

The publication reported that requests for proposal were issued to several Australian data centre developers, including CDC Data Centres, AirTrunk, NEXTDC, IREN and Stack Infrastructure. Initial proposals were submitted earlier this year, with shortlisted bidders subsequently participating in site meetings in Canberra. According to the AFR, Anthropic is expected to make a final decision in the coming weeks and may ultimately divide the procurement across multiple providers rather than selecting a single development partner. Anthropic declined to comment to the AFR.

Aligning with Australia's AI infrastructure strategy

While the reported procurement has not been confirmed by Anthropic, the company has already publicly signalled its intention to establish a significant long-term presence in Australia. In April, Anthropic became the first AI company to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Australian Government under the National AI Plan. Under the agreement, Anthropic committed to align any future Australian operations with the Government's Expectations for Data Centres and AI Infrastructure Developers, including supporting Australia's energy transition and engaging on future infrastructure planning.

The memorandum also states that Anthropic recognises the importance of expanding Australia's energy supply and transmission infrastructure, with a focus on firmed renewable energy, and intends to engage with the government on infrastructure planning as its Australian operations expand.

The company has also opened a Sydney office as part of its Australian expansion, with the government describing the agreement as the first collaborative arrangement signed under the National AI Plan and signalling Australia's ambition to attract AI investment aligned with national priorities.

The scale of the reported tender is consistent with a broader pattern of Australian hiring: Anthropic has recently advertised for multiple roles in its compute team based in Australia, spanning data centre engineering and operations, suggesting the company is building out local capability ahead of any procurement decision rather than only negotiating a paper commitment.

Scale reflects accelerating AI demand

If the figures reported by the AFR prove accurate, the procurement would significantly exceed the scale of most individual data centre developments currently planned in Australia and further reinforce the shift towards gigawatt-scale AI infrastructure.

According to the AFR, Anthropic's tender requested detailed information from prospective partners covering financing capability, available land, development experience, energy procurement, security credentials and the ability to deliver projects at unprecedented scale. The publication reported that the AI company estimated a project of this size could require between USD 12 billion and USD 15 billion in debt and equity financing. Notably, the AFR reported that Anthropic's own tender documents acknowledge the company remains rated non-investment-grade by credit agencies, with prospective partners asked to set out how that financing would be underwritten given the company's current credit standing.

The procurement also aligns with Anthropic's broader public statements that Australia is a strategic location for future AI infrastructure. Following the signing of its memorandum of understanding, the company said it viewed Australia as an attractive destination for AI investment and committed to supporting the Government's objective of developing trusted, sustainable AI infrastructure.

This comes despite recent turbulence around Anthropic's Australian commercial access: the company's Mythos-tier model was briefly unavailable to Australian companies in June, after US export controls prompted a temporary suspension, before access was restored on 1 July. The episode was a reminder that Anthropic's Australian footprint spans both major infrastructure commitments and day-to-day commercial access that remains subject to US regulatory settings.