Perth-based data center operator company Red Cloud is planning to open a data centre in Hobart, Tasmania in 2016.

The modular-based site will aim for Tier III levels of reliability, and will start at 150-200 racks, and 1MW, with a possibility of scaling to four times that size. Tasmania has a cool climate which will allow it to use outside air cooling. Red Cloud doesn’t yet have a site for the data center, but says it will allow local software development in Tasmania, and support data storage there, helping the island state, which is part of the commonwealth of Australia, to promote technology-based businesses and move from consumption to production. 

Cool climate

“One of the advantages in siting data centres in areas of low temperature is that you can capitalise on what’s known as free air cooling, so we will consume a lot less power having a data centre in Tasmania than we would on the mainland,”  chief executive Carl Woodbridge told ABC News.

“I don’t think that Tasmania’s capitalised on its opportunity to fully develop technology on the island,” Woodbridge added, and the island’s premier Will Hodgman said the move was evidence of Tasmania being an attractive place to support modern, businesses. 

Red Cloud has been on an expansion drive across Australia with more than ten data center parks, based on modular technology from UK-based Cannon, well known for its rugged containers. It has previously also used modular technology from IO (now spun off as Baselayer).