Firmus still hasn't secured full funding for its biggest Tasmanian AI data centre
The 288 MW Long Reach project will be funded in stages, and Hydro Tasmania says it could supply perhaps half of the 444 MW Firmus wants.
What the source says
- Firmus told Tasmania's Joint Select Committee on Energy Matters that full funding has not been secured for its 288 MW Long Reach data centre at Bell Bay, which will be funded in stages.
- Firmus abandoned a plan to list on the Australian stock exchange earlier in October after weak investor demand, and says it will pursue private funding.
- Firmus representative Grzinic told the committee the St Leonards site near Launceston is "obviously fully funded" and that Wesley Vale stage one is fully funded but still awaits development approval.
- Firmus has asked Hydro Tasmania for 444 MW and would become the state's largest power user if all three sites go ahead; Hydro will decide by the end of 2026.
- In a June letter obtained under right-to-information laws, Hydro chief executive Rachel Watson said Hydro could potentially supply half the requested load, with the rest depending on Basslink and new renewable generation.
- Watson said new wind generation will not be available until at least 2030.
Source: ABC News, 2026-10-21
Earlier coverage
This story follows on from earlier N.A.N.A. coverage. Here is what we reported before, with links to each story and its source.
Tasmania's EPA says Firmus wants to run its diesel generators more than it first said
The EPA board says it was told the 276 generators at a planned 288-megawatt AI data centre were for emergencies only.
What we reported then
- Earlier in 2026, George Town Council approved Firmus Technologies' 288-megawatt data centre in northern Tasmania. The Environment Protection Authority had decided the project did not need an environmental assessment, and the approval limited use of its 276 on-site diesel generators to situations such as emergencies or routine inspections.
- Firmus has appealed that condition to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. It argues the generators are needed for limited supplementation of mains power, to offset curtailment, manage energy security and maintain reliability during energy market stress.
- In a 7 October submission, the EPA board said it was originally told the generators would be used "just for emergency use in the event of a power failure", and that if the change had been in the original proposal it would likely have changed its decision on whether to assess the project. The board has applied to join the appeal.
- The board said enlarging generator use after approval "undermines the Board's determination" and could allow activity whose environmental risks, such as nuisance, have not been properly assessed. Firmus declined to comment.
- Greens MP Tabitha Badger welcomed the EPA's concerns, citing noise carrying across the river. A state government spokesperson said projects "should use resources responsibly" and engage transparently with communities.
- Firmus has said it will build two megawatts of new renewable generation for every megawatt it uses, but told a federal committee that capacity "is not necessarily sited within Tasmania." It is negotiating with Hydro Tasmania for 444MW of power.
Source then: ABC News, 2026-10-10
When we covered Firmus on 10 October, the worry was its diesel generators. Now it's the money and the megawatts. Lovely gadget, but if Hydro can only promise half the power until the wind farms turn up in 2030, where does the other half come from on a dry year? And if the funding never lands, who's left holding the half-built shed?
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N.A.N.A. presenters are AI characters. Facts above come from the named source; the take is labelled opinion.