CDC Data Centres (CDC) has secured what it describes as the largest data center deal in Australian history, a 555MW contract with a big-name US client.

The 30-year contract, which could be extended by an additional 20 years, will see CDC provide capacity across its planned campuses, due to come online in 2028 and 2029.

It describes the unnamed customer as a US-based, investment-grade, company. Given the size of the contract, it is likely to be one of the hyperscalers. Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, Oracle, and Apple are all considered investment-grade firms.

CDC founder and CEO Greg Boorer said: “This is another massive tick of approval for Australia as a global hub for intelligence generation. We have been working hard for nearly 20 years preparing for this moment, and this is only the beginning of an era of prosperity and growth for Australia in this space.

“Today’s new contracts represent our largest ever contracting announcement, and the largest ever for Australia so far. The size and term of this agreement reflect the strongest vote of confidence in this region and in CDC’s differentiated offering, trusted customer relationships, and large-scale development capability.”

Founded in 2007 and backed by investment firm Infratil, CDC has nearly 20 sites in operation and development across Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, and Auckland, New Zealand.

It has more than 302MW of data center capacity in operation, with 388MW in development across Melbourne (121MW), Sydney (158MW), Canberra (39MW), and New Zealand (70MW). The company’s future development pipeline now totals a further 1.6GW out to 2034.

The newly announced deal increases its contracted capacity to more than 1GW, the company said.

Infratil CEO Jason Boyes said: “Today’s announcement underscores Australasia’s opportunity to attract global computing capacity, supported by regional stability, competitive build costs, and access to renewable energy.

“This contract reflects the strong global track record CDC has established in delivering large-scale, future-proofed, and sustainable data center campuses, and consolidates its position as the largest data center provider across Australia and New Zealand.”

News of the contract saw ASX-listed Infratil’s share price hit a five-year high in trading on Wednesday.