APAC data center developer AirTrunk has acquired a new site in Melbourne, Australia, where it plans to construct its second data center campus in the city.

Known as MEL2, the data center will have a capacity of more than 354MW and represent an investment of more than A$5bn. The development will bring the company’s total capacity in the city to more than 630MW.

According to the company, the new site will complement AirTrunk’s existing Australian campuses, giving global AI and cloud customers greater geographical diversity across the Sydney and Melbourne markets. The project's construction timeline was not shared. DCD has reached out for further information.

“Australia has set bold ambitions to become a global AI hub, and demand for AI‑ready infrastructure continues to grow. MEL2 is part of our response. Working closely with Invest Victoria, we’re expanding in Melbourne to support Australia’s AI future while creating new opportunities for local business and communities,” said Robin Khuda, founder & CEO of AirTrunk.

Following the announcement, the company will operate more than 1.2GW of capacity across five campuses in Australia. This includes three in Sydney: SYD1 (121MW), SYD2 (158MW), SYD3 (330MW); and two in Melbourne: MEL1 (276MW) and MEL2 (354MW).

The acquisition closely follows AirTrunk’s announcement of plans to develop a second hyperscale data center in Osaka, Japan. Located in East Osaka, OSK2 will deliver up to 100MW of total campus IT capacity. OSK1, located in West Osaka, offers 20MW.

Founded in 2018, AirTrunk was acquired by Blackstone and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board for US$16.1bn last year in what was the largest-ever deal in the space at the time.