Australian thermal energy storage company 1414 Degrees has signed a non-binding heads of agreement with an unnamed data center firm to develop an up to 1GW AI project within the Aurora Energy Precinct, near Port Augusta in South Australia.

According to 1414, the data center will be a phased development, commencing with a 17MW campus supplied via the company’s existing 33kV network connection, supplemented by onsite solar and a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).

Following this, the companies intend to expand to a 200MW anchor campus after expanding a 275kV transmission connection on the eastern side of the site, which they claim will offer a longer-term pathway toward gigawatt-scale deployment. The entire Aurora Precinct landholding spans 1,580 hectares.

The agreement will grant the unnamed operator exclusivity over an initial 40-hectare development parcel while 1414 negotiates definitive commercial agreements.

“This agreement validates Aurora’s strategy of attracting energy-intensive industries to a site purpose-built for renewable generation, storage and grid connectivity. The 33kV connection lets us start generating value from part of the precinct now, while the 275kV build-out and Aurora’s solar and battery storage development continue in parallel,” said executive chairman Kevin Moriarty.

The Aurora site is a renewable-anchored energy park with the potential for up to 900MW of solar generation and an approved 140MW/280MWh BESS.

1414 Degrees is a South Australian energy storage company developing silicon-based thermal and battery technologies, including its SiBox, SiBrick, and SiNTL platforms. It is based in Adelaide, South Australia.