# Northern Territory could host $28bn off-grid AI data center Massive gas-powered data center project proposed in Australia's outback. - **Source:** [The Next Web](https://brifing.si/source/afe24b20-b275-4c19-b9a6-8bb3c8babae7) - **Published:** 2026-07-22 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/345ca420-a499-4e8a-aa46-3f4fa9c2e0f9 ## Mega-scale project A $28 billion off-grid AI data center is planned at Murranji Station in Australia's Northern Territory. The project aims to leverage the region's gas resources and vast land. Phase one targets 1 gigawatt of computing capacity. ## Energy solution The off-grid campus will run on 1,038MW gas-fired generation (hydrogen-ready), 3GW solar, and 16GWh battery storage. The gas component is framed as a bridge fuel, with promises to transition to renewables over time. ## Location advantage Exhausted data center capacity near Sydney is pushing developers inland. The Territory offers abundant sunlight and space. Gas reserves in the Beetaloo basin provide critical on-site energy resources. ## Investment scale Phase one requires AUD$11.9 billion investment. Total project value is reportedly $28 billion. The campus is designed to scale beyond 5GW. The solar farm alone would span 7,000 hectares. ## Approval process The project received Major Project Status but still needs environmental approvals under EPBC Act. Final investment decision is expected 12-18 months after approvals. Construction would follow a similar timeline. ## Industry significance This could become a test case for sustainable energy solutions in AI infrastructure. However, initial gas use raises environmental concerns. Reflects Australia's booming data center market growth. ## Sources covering this story - https://thenextweb.com/news/australia-28bn-data-centre-project — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._